A Kind Of Magic
by motley-atypical
Summary: Kurt Hummel is just a baby when he's cursed by dark sorcerer Sebastian Smythe, doomed to fall into an enchanted sleep to await true love's kiss. As he reaches eighteen the questions remain; will the curse be fulfilled? And who is the true love who will break the curse and help destroy Sebastian once and for all? A Klaine Sleeping Beauty AU with a twist .
1. Chapter 1

**NB:** I know I haven't wrote any fics in a while so I hope this makes up for it! It started off as an attempt at a Disney's Sleeping Beauty AU Klaine thing that was inspired by artwork I saw on Tumblr (Blaine as a Disney prince? Yes please!) but as I wrote, it slowly and surely took on a life of its own. So while I (mostly) stick to the story I've twisted it and thrown in a bit of everything else; there's hints at other Disney movies and Harry Potter, among fantasy novels I've read over the years. It _did _start off as a one shot but when I got to the 10,000 word mark (welp) I decided to split it into two. I've not quite finished writing the second part yet but it'll be up asap.

No smut (but please read it anyway *puppy-dog eyes*) but there's a little violence and some coarse language (did I say it was inspired by Disney…?). The side pairings are Brittana and Finchel (haters gonna hate). Blaine and Rachel siblings. Oh, and even though I'm British, my laptop thinks it's American and changed all the spellings. I'm also aware the POV jumps around a lot – I found it nearly impossible to write in third person without focusing on a specific character, so I apologize for that. Other than that…I hope y'all like it. Comments and the like are appreciated

I don't own anything; characters are the intellectual property of Ryan Murphy and Fox. The title, although it's not the full name, is from the song title "It's A Kind Of Magic" by Queen. I'm a poor student so please don't sue.

* * *

**Part 1**

Once upon a time, there was a powerful kingdom by the name of Lima. The kingdom was prosperous and its people content, thanks to the reign of a kind King. He and his wife were loved by all throughout the land and there was great anticipation for when the Queen would produce an heir to the throne.

When this time had come and it was announced that the Queen had finally given birth to a son, it was a bittersweet celebration. The birth had come at a price - the Queen had lost her life due to complications with pregnancy. There was a month of mourning.

After this month had passed, the king decreed a belated holiday to celebrate the birth of his son. A great feast was prepared, a beacon of light after the sadness that came with the loss of the gracious and beautiful Queen. Nobles, representatives of the magical race of fae, and royalty from neighboring kingdoms alike were invited to the presentation of the child. Although only few had seen him, he was already said to be the fairest child to have been born in the realm.

Among the guests were the king and queen of the neighboring kingdom of Dalton, who had twin toddlers - a son and a daughter. A court had been held prior to the birth and it was agreed that the child would marry one of these when they came of age, depending on if the child was a boy or a girl, and thus strengthen their alliance. Now this was even more important as the child was King Burt's only heir.

There was a round of respectful applause as the King entered the hall. Though royalty tended to allow a nurse to take care of their children, Burt himself was holding the baby close to his chest. He walked the length of the hall, not once looking up from the baby with a loving expression on his face - like he was scared his son would vanish should he look away. Finally he reached the cradle placed in front of the thrones. As he placed the child down everyone craned in for a first look. He was indeed a fair child; porcelain pale skin, downy brown hair and large blue eyes wide open and surveying the room with interest despite his tender age. He looked just like his late mother.

The first invited to step forward for a closer look was the children of the King of Dalton - Kurt Hummel's future wife, Rachel, and brother-in-law, Blaine. This king allowed a nurse to bring the children forward; both were small with dark hair. Rachel was more of a show-off than her brother, twirling forward while Blaine kept close to his nurse's side.

"There he is, children," the nurse said sweetly.

Rachel glanced once into the cradle before returning to her twirling, too interested in the way the sparkles on her dress caught prettily in the light but Blaine - though he had never been a particularly inquisitive child - leaned up on his tiptoes and craned over the side for a closer look. Kurt looked back.

"Hi," Blaine gave a gaped-tooth smile. His smile widened as the child smiled back and made a delighted gurgling noise.

"Come now, child," the nurse said, ushering his children away. Rachel danced back to her father. Blaine shuffled away, looking back over his shoulder at the cradle.

"Bootful," he said. The nurse smiled fondly,

"Yes, he is beautiful."

When they had returned, it was now the turn of the fae to approach Kurt and present him with gifts. The fae were mysterious creatures who lived in the beautiful meadows of Lima Heights. They were gifted with magic and long lives, and had been friends of the family for generations. The most respected of them were known as the Trinity - the three most beautiful of the fae, who were the ones who had come to represent the race that day. They stepped forward elegantly, feet barely brushing the floor due to delicate golden wings emerging from their shoulder blades. Their names were Santana, Brittany and Quinn. Quinn, being the eldest, stepped forward first. She had golden hair and she was wearing a flowing blue gown.

"Son of Burt, king of Lima," she said, "My gift to you is the gift of music. Your voice will be like a lark's, and will be matched by no other in the kingdom. Anyone who hears you will be entranced."

She waved her wand and a shower of blue sparks rained into the cradle. After the sparks and following applause had dissipated, she curtseyed to the king and returned to her place between Santana and Brittany. Brittany stepped forward next. Like Quinn, she was blonde, though she was taller and her gown was green, coming down to just above her knees and decorated with pale pink flowers. She danced forward,

"I was going to give you a cat but I don't think cats and babies get on," she said, her head cocked to one side, "And you're already pretty enough...so you're going to be special. Like a unicorn. And everyone will love you, because everyone loves unicorns. And you're gonna be an extra nice unicorn so everyone will love you even more."

Santana and Quinn exchanged exasperated looks.

"She's not going to turn my son into a unicorn is she?" King Burt murmured. Quinn shook her head,

"That's just how she talks. She just means he's going to be loved by everyone in the kingdom."

"Oh. Thank you."

Brittany waved her wand and the sparks this time were green. When she danced back, Santana reached out and squeezed her hand before stepping forward. Unlike the other two who could have almost been sisters, her hair was jet black and the red dress provided a stunning contrast to her olive skin. She flipped her hair,

"Being nice and able to sing is all fine and good," she said, "But what you really need is some attitud-"

BOOM!

Someone screamed as the doors of the grand hall were flung open with such force that they hit the walls - a physical impossibility for even the strongest man. The brightly-lit hall was flung into twilight darkness. Kurt started crying.

"I guess my invitation got lost in the mail. Carrier pigeons are so unreliable."

A new figure strode in, bringing with him an eerie yellow-green glow. It was a man this time - tall and handsome. He was dressed in black, holding a tall sceptre that was the source of the glow, and his cape brushed the floor. His name was Sebastian and though he had once been a respected member of the fae, he had gone rogue. His powers had got the better of him and he wished to use them to start an uprising against the kingdoms that made up the land. As a result he had been expelled from the fae and had been resentful for it ever since.

"Excuse me, asshole," Santana snapped, turning on her heels, "I was in the middle of-"

"Shut up," Sebastian flicked his sceptre and Santana crumpled to the floor, clutching her throat. Brittany and Quinn rushed to her side, "And you-" with another flick Burt - who had been halfway towards the cradle - froze mid-stride. Sebastian smirked. Everyone backed away as he passed, in fear of what might happen should they get in his way, "There I was just sitting in my castle when I got wind of some big event here and I must say I was wounded that I didn't merit an invitation."

"Nobody wanted you here," Quinn snarled. However she daren't touch her wand. Sebastian was easily the most powerful there.

A look of fake hurt crossed Sebastian's face, "Nobody wanted me here?" he said, "Well, that's just mean."

He stopped at the cradle then reached in and lifted the crying baby out with his free hand. There was a gasp of horror.

"So this is who the fuss is about," he said and bounced the baby on his hip until the sobs subsided.

"If you hurt him-" Quinn began.

"You always think so badly of me, Farbray. As it happens, I actually have my own gift to give to the child."

Nobody was comforted by these words. No gift that Sebastian could give would be good. He placed the child back down.

"Kurt Hummel," he said and though he spoke softly, his words carried to every ear, "You're indeed going to grow up to be handsome and everyone is going to love you but because of this insult, it'll all be in vain-" he stepped back and raised the sceptre, "Before the sun sets on your eighteenth birthday, you'll prick your finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and _die_!"

A fork of black lightning struck the cradle.

"NO!" Burt cried.

The guards rushed forward. Sebastian just laughed and hit the bottom of the sceptre off the grand marble floor. There was a burst of blinding green light. When it faded Sebastian was gone and everything was as it had been before he arrived. Santana coughed and Quinn and Brittany pulled her unsteadily to her feet. Burt hugged his child close.

"My son," he whispered helplessly, "My only son..."

Quinn gave Santana a meaningful look, who stepped forward,

"It's not all bad," she said, "I haven't given my gift yet."

"You can reverse the spell?" Burt said.

"Well...no. Sebastian..." she pulled a face, "I hate to say it but he's more powerful than all of us, so I'd never be able to completely reverse the spell. But I'd be happy to help," she massaged her throat bitterly then raised her wand, "I can't stop the curse from coming true but rather than die, instead he'll fall into a deep sleep. When the time comes he will be woken up by true love's kiss-" At the mention of "true love", she briefly glanced over at Brittany who smiled back, "-and the spell will be broken."

She waved her wand above her head in a circular motion and then pointed the wand at the child. A burst of red sparks shot out the end with a power that made her stagger backwards. It was the most powerful piece of magic that she had ever attempted. It wasn't much, but it was the best she could do.

"Thank you," Burt said. Kurt had fallen asleep, blissfully unaware of the cruel hand fate had dealt him.

* * *

Thus the feast, which had started so joyfully, ended in despair. That very day Burt decreed that all spinning wheels in the kingdom and outlying villages were to be destroyed and anyone who was seen to be breaking this law faced a lifetime prison sentence.

"Today started so well," Quinn said sadly as she peered down into the court yard from the tallest tower. A huge bonfire was burning in the square and all the spinning wheels in the land were piled on top of it. A noxious black smoke billowed into the night sky.

"Sebastian wouldn't be so tough if you took away that sceptre of his," Santana snarled, pacing the room back and forth, "Then I would love to go all Lima Heights on his-"

"Santana!" Quinn cut-in, "That's not helping."

"What's the point in this?" Santana motioned out of the window to indicate the bonfire, "Burt can burn every spinning wheel in the realm and Sebastian's curse would still come true. He can't keep an eye on the kid every single second of his life."

"It's easy to get lost in this palace," Brittany added, "I get lost all the time."

"Britt's right," Santana said, "All it would take is for Kurt to wander off on his own once and you saw how easily Sebastian broke in today."

Quinn stepped away from the window, "I just wish there was something more we could do."

They fell into an uneasy silence. They weren't used to feeling so useless.

"We could turn him into a flower," Brittany suggested. She had her wand pointing at a nearby vase and a small plant grew out of it, "A flower can't prick its finger."

"That's an idea..." Quinn said softly as the plant blossomed into a large daisy right before their eyes.

"How are we going to keep a flower alive for eighteen years?" Santana replied, "All Sebastian has to do is send frost and bam-!" she sent a burst of magic at the daisy, which completely froze over. Brittany touched one of the petals and it snapped off. The message got through loud and clear and once more they lapsed into a thoughtful silence.

"We need to be able to keep an eye on him," Quinn eventually stated. Santana pulled a face,

"But Burt can't have him followed everywhere he goes for the next eighteen years. Then he'll just try and run away. I know he will because that's what I would do," suddenly she clicked her fingers, "I've got it!"

She motioned at the other two so that they leaned in close to her. She looked around as if to check that there was nobody who could be listening and then lowered her voice to an almost-whisper,

"Why don't we take the kid away from here? You know, there's that old hunter's cottage in the forest. We could bring him up there. Sebastian would never think of looking for him there."

"I've always wanted to have a baby," Brittany squealed gleefully. Quinn frowned,

"What? Us?"

"How hard could it be?"

Quinn thought about it, "Okay, it's a good idea but could we ever get the king to agree to it?"

"He'd probably do anything to protect his son."

There was another long silence. Kurt had to be kept safe, somewhere where Sebastian wouldn't think to look for him. Who better to look after him than three fae? Quinn glanced grimly from Brittany to Santana,

"He couldn't know anything about being a prince and be kept away from anyone who might recognize him for who he is," she paused and looked slightly pained to add, "And if we raise him, he can't know anything about us. We wouldn't be able to use magic."

Santana blanched. She had never considered the prospect of giving up magic for eighteen years.

"I can't dress without using magic," Brittany said.

"It's a sacrifice we'd have to make," Quinn replied. She pushed up the sleeves of her dress and took her wand out of where it had been stuck into a ribbon tied around her waist. Brittany and Santana both backed away like she was brandishing a dangerous weapon.

"Q" Santana said, "I spoke too soon. We can't look after a _kid_ without magic-" Quinn waved her wand and Santana's wings vanished, "I really don't think-" the blonde waved her wand again and her dress was replaced by peasant robes, "Oh _come on_!"

"Hand it over," Quinn said, putting her hand out. Santana sighed reluctantly, removed her wand from where it was tucked down her cleavage and handed it over, "You next Britt."

"I don't want to," she said. She leapt over her chair as she tried to avoid Quinn's magic. Quinn waved her wand causing Brittany to trip and fall headlong onto the rug as her wings vanished. Another flick and her dress had also been replaced.

"Mean," Brittany winced. She sat up. When she had tripped up her wand had gone flying across the room. Quinn picked it up,

"It's only eighteen years. That's nothing," she said. She pointed the wand at herself and cast the same spell. Her wings and dress vanished for more humble clothes. She put the three wands into the wicker basket that had appeared in the crook of her elbow. There was a shawl over her shoulders and she pulled it over her hair, "You said it yourself, Santana; how hard could it be?"

They went to King Burt with their plan to keep the child concealed. He understood he had to keep his child safe and so, with a heavy heart, he handed over his only child to the three fae in their peasant disguises. They waited until the dead of night before escaping the castle. Burt watched them leave from the balcony but he hadn't asked where they had going. Instead he just watched as his only son disappeared from his life for eighteen years, only hearing of him from occasional visits from Quinn as the years went by.

* * *

**18 Years Later...**

Time passed and before anyone knew it, Kurt Hummel was no longer a baby. He had grown into a handsome young man who looked just like his mother and, as Brittany had promised, he was loved by all who knew him.

"LADY HUMMEL, GET YOUR LAZY ASS UP THIS MINUTE!"

Kurt awoke with an unpleasant start. The sun streamed onto his bedroom through his open window and he groaned, throwing his arm over his eyes. He could hear Santana bustling about his room. She was deliberately singing at the top of her voice to stop him from drifting back off. He made an annoyed noise. She had woken him from such a wonderful dream; he had been dancing with his true love and it was every part as cheesy and romantic as anyone could hope for. He tried to remember what his suitor had looked like in his dream but it was trickling away faster than he could keep a hold of it...all he could remember were large, gorgeous brown eyes.

"I don't have all day," Santana grabbed the end of his duvet and yanked it off him. He yelped and rolled up into a ball.

"You're not allowed to be mean to me on my birthday," he mumbled, "I'm royalty, you know."

While they had been raising him, the three fae had managed relatively well to keep Kurt's heritage a secret. However the truth had accidentally came out on Kurt's sixteenth birthday. Growing up, he had developed a passion for designing and making his own clothes and on this day, he had been modeling the first full outfit he had created from scratch. Quinn had gushed that he looked just like a prince, to which Brittany had blurted out, "He _is _a prince, remember?" and the other two hadn't acted natural enough for it to pass off as a joke. They didn't tell him everything, particularly not about their magic (though he had his suspicions considering the three hadn't aged a day over the years); just that he was a prince who was living with them to be kept safe. They refused to elaborate further. Finding out he was in fact the only son of Burt Hummel, king of Lima, hadn't went to his head. He was just a normal eighteen year old boy. Well, as normal as anyone could be when they had been brought up in such a dysfunctional family. More than anything the prince thing was a joke.

"And if you were living in a palace you would be up earlier than this for royal duties," came the reply. Kurt eventually sat up. His room was small and square, every inch covered in different fabrics and sketches. He had a wonderful view out of his window - mostly forest but in the distance he could just make out the shape of the castle. It looked just like an illustration out of a picture book. Santana grinned at him, "See? That wasn't so difficult, was it?"

"Easy for you to say," Kurt responded sleepily.

"I'll let you get dressed. Don't even think about going back to sleep."

"Don't give me ideas."

Santana left him to his own devices. Kurt dragged himself out of bed. Eighteen years old...how the years had flew by.

It was about twenty minutes later that he emerged fully dressed from his room. The cottage was relatively small; it had three tiny bedrooms and an area in the middle that was the kitchen, living and dining area all at once. Most of this space was taken by a large mahogany table at which his three guardians were seated around.

"I'm not sure he'd like that," Quinn was saying. They had their heads down and they seemed to be studying something.

"It should have dinosaurs," Brittany piped in.

"That's your answer to everything. I still think the one before-"

"Good morning, ladies," Kurt said brightly. They all started as if they had received electric shocks and looked around, not quite able to hide the conspiratorial expressions that had been on their faces. Quinn nudged something under the tablecloth.

"Ah, the dead has awoken," Santana said.

"Now can I ask why you had to wake me so early in the morning?" he said, not as annoyed as he was pretending to be.

"We need you to go out and get um..." Quinn's eyes searched the room before settling on an empty basket sitting on the counter next to the stove, "Berries! We need berries!"

Kurt raised an eyebrow in amusement, "No-one in this house eats berries."

"Well, times have changed and we've decided to give berries another try," She stood up and grabbed the basket, shoving into Kurt's hand while simultaneously pushing him towards the door.

"And don't even think about coming back until that basket is full," Santana chimed in.

"Yeah, ye-" his second "yeah" was cut off by the door of the cottage slamming shut on him. He shook his head and smiled fondly. The women had never been able to pull off acting natural and he could tell that they were hiding something. Something that required him to be out of the house for at least an hour. Well, he had just the place to go.

Quinn watched Kurt disappear from the window before she let the curtain fall back into place, "He's gone," she declared.

She returned to the table and pulled out the book of regal outfit patterns that she, Brittany and Santana had been going through before Kurt had appeared. It was opened at a truly hideous floral frock that Santana had joked would match Kurt's flamboyant personality perfectly, "Which one are we going to do?"

"We need an outfit that says 'not only are you a prince, we've actually been lying to you all these years, we're faeries and by the way, we're taking you to the palace tonight to meet your father and you're fiancée. Have we not mentioned you've been engaged since you were a baby? Well, we're mentioning it now.'" Santana's tone was dripping with sarcasm, "'Mazel tov!'"

"Bless you," Brittany replied absent-mindedly.

Quinn brushed off the comment with her usual good grace,

"It sounds bad when you put it like _that_."

"There's no nice way to put it."

Quinn scowled, "What's the matter with you?"

Santana shook her head to say that nothing was the matter, only to burst out almost right after, "It's not _fair_. One minute he was a baby and the next..." she trailed off.

Brittany pouted, "I don't want him to go either."

Quinn sighed. She knew this moment had to come from the second that they had agreed to take Kurt in. Even though they knew that Brittany had promised that he would be loved by all, none of them had expected the profound effect he would have on their lives. She had been dreading this moment ever since Kurt had turned sixteen and found out part of the truth.

"We knew it had to happen," she said, "He doesn't belong here. He's a prince."

She wished she could convince herself of that too. Still, she was the oldest. She couldn't show weakness. She cleared her throat,

"Besides, we can't sit around here and mope all day. We've got work to do. I'll make the outfit."

"I'll make the cake!" Brittany leapt up.

"Um...Britt, I think it'll be better if we let Santana handle the cake-" Brittany gave her a wounded look and she added hurriedly, "Not that I don't think you'd be an excellent cook, but I need a model and I reckon you're the closest we have to Kurt's figure."

"Minus the tits," Santana added, "I'll go get the wa-"

"No, no, no!" Quinn clapped her hands together, "We're doing this completely by scratch."

"You're kidding me."

"Oh come on," she was already tying her hair back, "We raised a baby without magic. How hard could it be?"

"That's your war-cry," Santana said under her breath as she made her way to the kitchen.

* * *

For the years of his exile, Sebastian lived in the ruins of a grand palace in a valley that was surrounded by treacherous mountains. The palace had once been the grandest in the land but war had reduced it to almost nothing. The stone was blackened and many of the towers looked one bad storm away from collapse.

"Son of a bitch!" Sebastian screeched, swinging his sceptre against a stone gargoyle in the throne chamber. The sceptre was undamaged but the bust was sent flying across the room where it hit the opposite wall with a crash and shattered into a thousand tiny pieces. His minions - a race of doxies - scattered, "How can he have just _vanished _for eighteen years?!"

Doxies were small creatures, barely more than ten inches high and though their form was mostly human, they had an extra set of arms and limbs, and the entirety of their flesh was covered in coarse black hair. Like the fae, they had wings but theirs' resembled the wings of a beetle, and they had two rows of sharp, venomous teeth. This race was the sworn enemies of the fae and, being lovers of power, had declared themselves as Sebastian's ally.

"We looked everywhere," one of them hissed.

"So you keep saying," Sebastian sank onto the high, black throne and massaged the bridge of his nose in frustration, "And yet I doubt it. If you had searched _everywhere _you would have already found him."

"Well, we searched every palace in the realm, every home, every cradle, every-"

Sebastian looked up, his eyes narrowing, "Wait, say that again."

The doxy tittered nervously, "Every home?"

"After that."

"Every cradle," it made a rocking gesture with its arms as if to indicate a cradle. Sebastian gave an incredulous laugh,

"Every cradle," he repeated, "Eighteen long years and you've spent all of them looking for a _baby_."

He started to laugh, a loud cruel sound that echoed throughout the stone chamber. Before long the doxies joined in, relieved that their master wasn't angry,

"_Idiots_!" suddenly he was on his feet, sending a flash of light at the doxy who had spoken, which exploded in a burst of black hair and blood. The others cowered under his rage, "You absolute fools! He wouldn't be a baby anymore. He'd be eighteen!"

"We'll go find him right away!" one of the other creatures squeaked.

Sebastian held up his hand and shook his head, "No. You've had your chance and you've failed. You're lucky I'm not skewering you all-" his minions cowered as he said this but he just made a noise of disgust, "Get out of my sight."

There was the rushing noise of a hundred pairs of wings as the doxies fled the room. Sebastian turned to a hideous bird perched on the arm of his throne. It was a thin bird that resembled a vulture, though its feathers were a greenish black and it had cruel yellow eyes. The bird was called an augrey and was seen as a bad omen throughout the land. The bird was Sebastian's most trusted companion. Sebastian reached out and stroked the feathers above its sharp beak.

"It's up to you, my pet," he cooed, "Find him for me. He'll be beautiful with snow white skin, brown hair and blue eyes; you'll know him as soon as you see him. Chances are he'll have a bunch of animals or children following him like a fan club."

The augrey gave a mournful cry in assent before spreading its wings and taking flight through a paneless window high in the chamber.

* * *

Kurt Hummel had no intention of picking any berries. There was a dirt trail leading from the cottage through the woods, which eventually thinned until the path emerged at the bottom of a steep cliff. There were a number of blackberry bushes growing here but he completely ignored them and instead treaded carefully through until he was standing right in front of the cliff-face. He put the basket down and brushed aside a curtain of vines to reveal a crevice carved out of the rock. He had first discovered this when he was around twelve years old and in his childish curiosity, his first instinct was to squeeze through it and see what was on the other side - if there even had been another side to emerge from. This endeavor had not gone unrewarded as he had found himself on the outskirts of a village. Kurt had been sneaking to this village with every opportunity since though, as he had grown, the shortcut had become more and more unpleasant. By now he was only just slim enough to fit. He suspected that his three guardians didn't know about this, otherwise - if their mission was to protect him - they wouldn't have chosen a cottage so close to civilization.

Part of him felt bad that he was directly disobeying their orders not to talk to strangers, or go anywhere he could be recognized but he had always been curious and the thought of a village close to his home with all that life and excitement had proven too hard for him to resist. As he edged through the rock, he immediately regretted the decision to wear white. His shirt was filthy by the time he emerged at the other side.

Beyond the village was the neighboring palace of Dalton and without the shortcut through the mountain, he figured it to be several hours' journey on foot. The palace was huge and pastel-peach colored. It never failed to awe Kurt whenever he looked upon it. He didn't know much about the royal family, but the king and queen were said to be second in their kindness only to Burt Hummel of Lima.

When Kurt arrived in the village it seemed as if the majority of folk were leaving. There was an excitement in the air and everyone was chattering happily about a birthday...or was it an engagement? It was hard to tell. He asked the vendor at a nearby fruit stall.

"Why, didn't you know?" the portly man said happily, "There's a celebration at King Burt of Lima's palace tonight! I'm closing early myself!"

"Those three didn't tell me about that," Kurt said under his breath.

"What was that, son?"

"Oh," he just smiled, "Nothing important."

"KURT!" Kurt barely had time to register where the high-pitched voice had come from when something small but surprisingly solid collided with his mid-drift. He looked down. One of the local children were hugging him tightly around the waist and before long they had been joined by others, all chattering around him happily.

"Hey kids," he smiled, "How are we all?"

Though they were all talking at the same time, he gathered that they were all excited about the marriage of the princess. He wondered if it was to the step-brother that Quinn had once mentioned him having. The atmosphere was festive - a unification of two such great kingdoms was rare.

"Are you going to sing for us?" one of them eventually squeaked. This was a routine he had grown used to, ever since a group of the kids had overheard him singing to himself as he wandered through the village one day. His visits were a treat for them and when they looked so cute and hopeful, who was he to say no? Still, he pretended to think about it,

"Well..."

"Please!"

He smiled, "Okay."

* * *

In the castle of Dalton, Blaine Berry-Anderson was preparing to make his escape from the castle.

Well, perhaps "escape" was a little on the dramatic side. The young prince _was_, however, planning to sneak out of the palace and into the village disguised as a commoner. This wasn't an entirely rare occurrence for the young man, he snuck out as often as he thought he could get away with it and in five years, he had never been caught. He loved it there; the smells, the sights, the _people_. It was the only place where he could really be anonymous. Yes, he loved being a prince and he loved his family but deep down he was a humble man and sometimes he just desired the freedom to be like everybody else. He hated the drawbacks that came with wandering the palace; all the conformity and rules. He hated that everyone bowed at him every single time he walked past, even when he had repeatedly told them they didn't have to.

He often wondered what it was like for his sister Rachel, living with the knowledge that she was to be Queen. She had been engaged to the prince of the neighboring kingdom of Lima since long before she even knew what the word meant. It was a huge responsibility. She would never get away with sneaking out of the palace like this. All Blaine had to say was that he was going on a hunting trip and he was given a free rein.

Before leaving his chamber, he took a quick look at himself in the mirror. His curly black hair, which was usually slicked back, was free and loose around his head, and he was dressed in a set of clothes he had managed to bribe off one of the servants. He smiled, satisfied with what he saw. He looked nothing like the prince he was. Nobody would give him a second glance. When he had sneaked out of the palace, he scaled the high wall that surrounded the stables which took him straight into the village.

In a peasant disguise, he could wander around for hours.

"Good morning," one of the merchant sellers called out to him as he passed. He waved in response. Before long he had reached the village square. It was very often the busiest part of town, though it was quiet today because many of the citizens were travelling to Lima for the celebration of King Burt's son's eighteenth birthday, and the prince's engagement to Rachel. Blaine could only spare half an hour of wandering before he had to return to the palace in preparation to visit the neighboring royal family. He had only seen the young prince once before, and he had been very young himself. He wondered if the rumors (he found it incredible that there were still rumors even though nobody had seen hide or hair of Prince Kurt since he was a baby) were true that the young man had grown into the very essence of beauty-

A high, sweet voice interrupted his musings. It floated to his ears from the other side of the village square, where a group of children had gathered. Despite the noise of the village around him, the voice was crystal clear and entrancing. As though hypnotized, Blaine's feet carried him across the square.

And oh..._there he was_.

The boy was sitting cross-legged in the middle of a group of children. He hadn't seen Blaine approach, his eyes closed as he sang. If Blaine thought there was no chance that the face be as beautiful as the voice he was sorely mistaken. He had pale skin that practically radiated its own glow, brown hair that was styled away from his face - though some strands had come loose and fallen over his forehead. He had a cute, slightly upturned nose and his jaw could have been cut from marble.

The children, who must have noticed Blaine approach, all moved along a little so there was room for Blaine to kneel down and watch the performance. The song was one of love and hope and though he had heard it before, he had never heard it sung so beautifully. After a few seconds Blaine couldn't resist. He opened his mouth and started to sing along. The boy's eyes snapped open in surprise and it took all Blaine had not to stop singing at that very moment. They were so _blue_. Blue, yet somehow green and grey all at the same time.

Kurt had had a dream that he was dancing with his true love. He couldn't remember anything specific about his partner apart from a pair of beautiful hazel eyes. Eyes he suddenly found himself staring straight into the second the voice started to sing with him. Large hazel eyes flecked with amber and gold...the eyes were attached to the handsome face of the man kneeling across from him. The newcomer smiled at Kurt while still singing - there was something oddly familiar about that smile. Kurt grinned back and joined in again. Their voices seemed to blend perfectly together. Like ying to yang. The boy's voice was velvety and warm.

It was too soon that the song drew to a close. The kids sat in amazed silence for a few moments before cheering. It wasn't just them either, it seemed that Blaine and Kurt had gathered quite an audience during their impromptu duet. They had been too lost in each other to even notice.

"That was wonderful," someone said. Kurt blushed,

"Thank you," he said. Blaine murmured his thanks too.

"Are you two going to get married?" a little girl piped up.

"Oh!" Kurt's blush deepened. He glanced at Blaine, "We've never met before."

"Well, you should," she replied matter-of-factly.

"You kids should head on home if you want to be at the palace on time!" someone said and Kurt was thankful for the distraction. He said his goodbyes to the group and soon they had all scattered, leaving the two boys alone. Kurt wanted to say something but he couldn't quite find the words.

Blaine's usually eloquent and charming demeanor was failing him too. There was already so much he wanted to say. Instead, he just scratched the back of his neck sheepishly and said,

"Would you..." his voice was about an octave higher than it should have been. He cleared his throat and tried again, "Would you like to go for a walk with me?"

He extended his hand. Kurt looked at for a moment, hardly daring to believe that this was really happening. He nodded. His hand seemed to fit Blaine's perfectly,

"I would love to," he said.

Nobody noticed the greenish black bird circling overhead.

* * *

"_Now _can we use our wands?" Santana spat out a large mouthful of flour. Baking the cake wasn't going very well. She was pretty sure that the majority of the ingredients were covering her rather than in the bowl - the contents of which were an unpleasant grey color with bits of egg shell sticking out. She didn't have a domestic bone in her body; Kurt usually handled all the baking. How he even managed to learn living with those three was completely beyond her.

Quinn wasn't faring much better. The "outfit" Brittany was modeling looked more like an oversized curtain wrapped around her like a toga, with ruffles in all the wrong places. Quinn stood by the stool with her hands on her hips and a critical expression on her face,

"Maybe it'll look better from a distance..." she said to herself. She took a few steps back. Then a few steps further. Then a few steps further until she had reached the opposite side of the room, "...Maybe not."

"I can't move my legs," Brittany said. Sure enough, the binding was so tight around her ankles it was obvious that if she even attempted to walk she would fall off the stool.

"Give it up, Q, we're not the domestic goddess types," Santana threw the wooden spoon back into the bowl in annoyance, "And it's going to take a miracle to get this done by the time Kurt gets back."

There was a long silence in which Quinn seemed to go through every possible alternative but eventually said, "I think...maybe wands are our best option if we want to get this done on time-_just this once_!" she shouted after Santana who had whooped happily and was already rushing to the Quinn's room, where the wands where hidden in a loose floorboard underneath the dressing table. Quinn helped Brittany out of the toga-sheet hybrid. Santana returned and gave them their wands.

"I'll take care of decorating," Brittany declared.

Kurt had never truly appreciated just how beautiful the village was until he had enjoyed it with this handsome stranger. They talked about everything and nothing, petty small talk about how beautiful the palace looked or how delicious the bakery smelled. He had never felt more at ease with another human being and, judging by the way his heart was beating out of his chest, he was certain he had fallen in love.

The two boys were sitting on the steps outside the village hall, their hands intertwined between them. Sadly, the spell was broken by the chiming of the huge clock on the front of the palace. It had already been an hour. Blaine leapt up like he had sat on a pin,

"Is that the time?" he cried. He ran his hand through his hair, "Oh god, my dad is going to kill me!"

Kurt stood up and tried not to show disappointment on his face. Realistically, he should have probably been getting back home himself but he had been having so much fun he would have quite happily stayed there all day. Blaine started power walking away but stopped himself after a few paces. He muttered "what are you doing?" under his breath, then turned and came back. He was smiling shyly again.

"Can I...uhh...see you again?"

"Of course," Kurt replied.

"Tonight?" Blaine would just have to think of some kind of excuse to ditch the royal engagement. He was sure his father wouldn't miss him too much. Even if he did...well, this would be worth it.

Kurt bit his lip. He was pretty sure his guardians would be pissed however; he didn't want to pass up this opportunity. He nodded, "Meet me at sunset. Do you know where the old hunter's cottage at the south of Lima forest?"

"Yeah."

"That's where I live," he smiled that gorgeous smile of his. Blaine couldn't help himself; he leaned in and stole Kurt's lips in a sweet, chaste kiss. It only lasted a moment but if Kurt could say that his life ever had any perfect moment, this would be it. When they broke apart Blaine nodded,

"Then that's where I'll meet you," he said, "Goodbye!"

"Bye."

As Blaine walked away, he kept turning back to look. When he had finally vanished around a corner, Kurt placed his hand on his chest. His heart was beating faster than he thought it was possible. He spun around happily, feeling like he was about to burst into song. This birthday had gone much better than he could have possibly wished for. Maybe dreams did come true.

It wasn't until Kurt was halfway back towards the cottage that he realized that he hadn't even asked the boy his name.

* * *

After the last minute inclusion of magic, the disaster zone that had been there before had been replaced. Santana placed the last of the candles on a large three-tier cake and Brittany added some streamers and banners to the beams that made up the ceiling.

"Isn't it gorgeous?" Quinn said placing her creation tenderly on a chair where Kurt couldn't miss. The result of her magic was a beautiful tunic, blue decorated with delicate gold swirls. The shoulders were ruffled slightly and the buttons at the collar were shaped like warblers. Santana put her hand on her hip,

"It's okay," she said, "But it would look better in red."

She pointed her wand at it and the blue material turned a deep red.

"I think I know better what color suits Kurt, Santana," Quinn changed it back, "His eyes are blue."

"Which is why it needs a little contrast." Red.

"Red makes it look crass." Blue.

"If you didn't want crass then you shouldn't have put in ruffles." Red.

"Oh, so now you have a problem with ruffles?" Blue.

Their fight got increasingly violent until red and blue sparks were flying everywhere, changing the colors of everything in room. Some of the sparks rebounded and flew up the chimney, where the augrey had landed, drawn by the noise. Somewhere in its long memory it remembered when its master had said that the three fae had vanished at the same time baby Kurt did. It made the connection with the singing boy in the square and this tiny cottage deep in the woods. It had much to tell its master.

When the fight had resorted to Quinn and Santana changing each other's clothes different colors that weren't just blue and red - Quinn's dress was now a gaudy orange with an assortment of multicolored polka dots, and Santana's bright green with yellow stripes - Brittany stepped forward,

"I like purple," she said. The other two lowered their wands. She had turned the tunic a rich purple color that complimented the gold perfectly and they had to admit, would look stunning on Kurt, "It's a improvise."

"Compromise, Brittany," Quinn corrected, "It looks gorgeous."

"Sssh, listen," Santana hissed. They fell silent and all heard it in the distance - the sound of Kurt singing.

"Quick!" Quinn waved her wand once and returned the room to its original state. Santana levitated the cake over from the kitchen counter over to the dining table. She stuffed her wand down the front of her dress. They only had time to hide behind the couch before Kurt literally pirouetted through the front door. He was still singing as he did,

"_I walked with you once upon a-_oh," he stopped singing as his eyes fell on the gifts then to the decorations.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" his three guardians' yelled coming out of their hiding places. They all hugged him.

"Oh my god..." he gasped, "Thank you so much!"

He took awe-struck steps over to the chair and gently fingered the soft material of the tunic, "Did you do all this from scratch?"

Brittany opened her mouth but Quinn, afraid she would give the game away, cut in, "Of course."

"Wow Quinn, I didn't know you're such a talented seamstress," he beamed at her, "You kept that a secret. And that _cake_!"

"That was me," Santana said, looking pleased with herself.

"And you've let me bake all these years! I could never make anything like that," he circled the table, "This could feed us for the next year. Oh, my hips aren't going to like that."

He looked around at the decorations. Dinosaurs and unicorns everywhere.

"And let me guess," he said fondly, "This was Brittany's work. Oh, you girls-" he wiped his eyes with his sleeve and laughed a little, "You're going to make me cry! How did I get so lucky?"

When Kurt had walked in a circle and hugged each of them again, he picked up the garment and held it against himself.

"We thought you might want to wear it to go back to the palace tonight-" Quinn began.

"I can't go back to the palace tonight," he said quickly.

"What do you mean?"

"Well..." he shrugged guiltily, "I met someone in the village and-"

"What village?" Quinn's voice was even but Santana's eyes had narrowed dangerously.

"The village on the outskirts of Dalton, at the other side of the mountain. There's a crevice you can cut through but that's against the point. I met someone there and he's visiting at sunset tonight-"

"Let me get this straight, Princess," Santana snapped, "Not only have you been sneaking into the village, you've told some random stranger where we _live_?"

"He's more than just a random stranger-"

She scoffed disbelievingly, "I can't believe you."

"Kurt," Quinn added, "You know it's dangerous to go into the village."

"But why?!" Kurt said, "I get it, you're trying to protect me but I can look after myself. I'm not an idiot."

"You're a prince and this boy you met is a commoner. It's best for both of you that you don't meet again," Kurt noticed how Quinn didn't answer his question. They always avoided it when he tried to get more information out of them and, although it didn't used to bother him, he was starting to get frustrated. He was an adult and he was perfectly capable of making his own decisions. He didn't _ask _to be a prince.

"He's nice, you'd love him!"

"That doesn't matter because it's not like you'll ever see him again!" Santana yelled.

Kurt's head jerked sharply like he had just been slapped in the face. Santana realized as soon as she had opened her mouth that she had gone too far, even if what she had said had been the truth. She fell silent and Quinn sighed,

"Look Kurt, we know it might sound harsh but you're a prince and your royal duties come first. We're going back to the palace tonight and you're going to meet your father and..." she barely whispered the next two words, "Your fiancée."

"Fiancée..." he groaned. All that talk in the village about a royal wedding. They were talking about _him_.

"And Santana's right...whoever this boy is...you can never see him again."

"Right," Kurt's voice kept breaking, like every word was getting stuck in his throat, "You've kept me stuck here for eighteen years without telling me why and then suddenly I'm supposed to just accept this fate without question, even if it means giving up a chance for love," he stood up, "Fine."

"Kurt, we're sorry-"

"Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to my room. Thanks for the gifts," he spat out the last sentence rather bitterly and half-ran to his room before anyone else had the chance to stop him. Even the loud slamming of the door didn't stop the sound of sobs from carrying to their ears.

"That went well," Santana said. Her attempt at good humor fell flat.

"If this is what's best then why do I feel so crappy?" Brittany asked sadly.

The augrey rose from the window sill where it had been listening to every word that had been said, and took flight.

* * *

Blaine's plan to only wander the village for half an hour had went completely array thanks to the presence of the stranger and by the time he returned to the palace he was running extremely late. The grand carriage the royal family would be travelling in was already waiting out in the courtyard and he could hear his father grumbling about the time. Thankfully, when he reached his bed chamber a fresh outfit in fine red and blues had already been set out on his bed and a bath had been drawn. He made a mental note to suggest his father give his servant a raise. He had cleaned himself off and dressed in record time, singing all the way. His heart felt light as a feather and he couldn't wait to see...he paused midway through lacing his boots and couldn't help but laugh.

"I don't even know his name," he chuckled.

"You don't even know who's name?"

Blaine looked up and saw his sister Rachel standing in the door way. She looked every part the queen she was destined to become in a regal gown of gold, and her hair fell in loose curls down her back. However, she hadn't quite been able to disguise the redness around her eyes - she had been crying.

"No-one important," he lied, "What are you doing here?"

"Father sent me to get you. The carriage is about to leave."

"Tell him you guys can just leave, I'm going to make my own way there."

"Why?" her brown eyes narrowed suspiciously. Blaine suddenly felt very self-conscious that she knew exactly what he had been up to, and wished that he had giving the servant clothes a better hiding place than an untidy pile in the middle of the floor. He and Rachel got on, sure, but he wasn't sure if her loyalty to him extended to not telling their father he had snuck out of the palace on such an important day. Not to mention that he hadn't even thought of an excuse to make his leave so he could make his rendezvous.

"B-because...I have to meet-no...because I'm not a child anymore and I don't appreciate being treated like one by being escorted everywhere."

It was very obviously a lie but Rachel didn't call him out on it. As she wandered into the room he stood up and stationed himself in front of the pile of rags on the floor.

"Anyway, Rach, are you ok?" he asked in an attempt to steer the conversation out of such dangerous waters. She waved a dismissive hand.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well...you look like you've been crying."

She momentarily looked like she was about to argue the point but instead she sank down onto the bed.

"Can you keep a secret?" she said. She fixed Blaine with such a serious look that he abandoned his attempts to hide the clothes and sat down beside her. She very rarely dropped her act of being the perfect little princess.

"Yes, of course."

"You have to promise me you won't breathe a word of this to anyone," she replied.

"Rach, you have my word."

She nodded, took a deep breath and blurted out, "I'm in love with Finn Hudson."

"Finn Hudson? As in King Burt's stepson?"

Burt Hummel had spent ten years as a widower after the loss of his wife but after this he had fallen in love with a widowed noble-woman named Carole, whose husband had died fighting in a war. After courting her for about a year, the two were wed. Carole had a young son named Finn, who was a few months younger than Kurt and thus had no direct claim to the throne. Rachel nodded,

"We met last year and I swear when I looked at him I just knew he was the one," Rachel's words were breathy, "Have you ever looked at someone and suddenly you couldn't breathe, and yet at the same time everything suddenly seems to make sense?" she placed a hand to her chest, "Your heart starts to beat extra fast and you feel like you're falling but you never want it to stop."

As Rachel spoke, Blaine's mind wandered to a pair of ocean blue eyes. If she had told him this yesterday, he wouldn't have a clue what she was talking about. But now...? He nodded and a small smile tugged at his mouth,

"Yes."

"He asked me to dance and when we did, it was like we were the only people left on the planet. He told me that very night he loved me. You know I've never rushed into things like that but I was so sure love was what it was that I said it right back," she rested her chin in her hands, "We've been courting ever since, every time there's a ball."

"Oh, Rachel..." he didn't know what else to say. He placed his hand on her shoulder. He knew this couldn't be easy for her but he didn't realize what she was sacrificing. And if she was living in the palace then everyday she would have to see Finn and be constantly reminded that she could never be with him. Rachel shook him off and rose elegantly to her feet. Her eyes were gleaming with tears again but she blinked them away.

"What's the point in arguing?" she said, "I have to put my duties first." she swallowed thickly, "For the good of the kingdom."

"I'm so sorry," Blaine responded and pulled his sister into a tight hug, "This isn't fair."

"We've always known it was going to be like this," she said.

There was the sound of a trumpet coming from down in the courtyard where the horses were waiting. A summon from the king - they were already running late enough as it was.

"I'll tell father what you said," Rachel said.

"Rachel, you're going to make one heck of a queen."

"Thanks," she replied, "Whatever...or," she paused and gave him a knowing smile, "_Who_ever you're going to miss my engagement ceremony for better be worth it."

"Oh," Blaine was too caught off guard to deny anything. Instead he just returned the smile and said, "He is."

She left the room.

* * *

"Why do the best days always end up so bad?" Quinn asked quietly as she, Santana and Brittany made their way back to the palace through the woods. Kurt walked a few paces behind. He was wearing a long cloak and had the hood covering his head so on a first glance he would just look like any other peasant. His shoulders were slumped and he had barely spoken two words since he had first stormed off.

"We should tell Burt that we're going to delay his return until tomorrow. One more day wouldn't hurt," Santana responded. She was still feeling guilty about her outburst earlier. Quinn secretly agreed but she couldn't say that out loud. Instead she shook her head,

"Isn't eighteen years long enough? Besides, Kurt _can't _marry a commoner. He's a prince."

"But if he marries a princess he's going to be miserable. Or am I the only one who picked up on the fact he's gay? I swear, this marriage is going to end with him being caught with his pants around his ankles with the prince of Dalton or something-"

_"Santana!" _

"Hey, just keeping it real," she raised her hands in surrender.

The rest of the journey passed in a tense silence. On the outskirts of the town they were met by Finn, Kurt's step-brother, to guide them safely back to the palace. He was extremely tall and solidly built with short brown hair. At his side he was holding a deadly-looking sword. He looked almost as happy as Kurt did.

"Hey, Finn," Quinn said.

"You all here then?" he said grumpily, "Let's go."

He turned and walked away in long strides without further ado. They all had to half-jog to keep up with him.

"I thought you said Frankenteen was a happy guy," Santana hissed. Quinn had made trips to the palace a few times to report on Kurt's well-being over the years so she was the only one who had met Carole and her son. From what she had said, Finn was the happiest person she had met, if not slightly dim-witted at times. She shrugged helplessly,

"He _is_. Maybe he's just having a bad day."

"Yeah, well, he's not the only one."

The presence of his step-brother seemed to have piqued Kurt's curiosity. He sped up so that he fell into stride next to the other man. For some reason, Finn seemed determined not to acknowledge him. His grip on the sword tightened.

"So you're Finn," Kurt attempted.

"Who wants to know?" Finn grumbled. If Kurt was caught off guard by the hostility, he didn't show it.

"I'm Kurt," he replied.

"Yeah, I know who you are."

Kurt wanted to tell Finn if the reason for his hostility was because he wanted to be king, he could have the throne. All Kurt wanted was to be back in his cottage. Sure, he had had daydreams about being a prince living in the palace but he had never seriously considered that one day he would have to go back. Especially not under these circumstances. He couldn't help but wonder how the boy from the village would react when he got to the cottage to find Kurt gone. Kurt didn't know what made him so sure that this boy he met was his true love, he just knew with every fiber of his being that he was.

"Can you tell me what it's like in the palace?" he asked.

Finn shrugged, "It's ok," he grunted.

"And...do you happen to know anything about the princess of Dalton?"

Rachel Berry-Anderson. If he was going to marry her, he might as well try and learn as much about her as he could, and he was still too hurt to go ask his guardians. What Kurt didn't expect was for Finn's face to light up at the mention of her.

"Oh!" he said brightly. He was actually rather handsome when he smiled, "Rachel's awesome. She's pretty-no, _beautiful_ and funny and talented and okay, maybe she talks too much but that's just because she's opinionised-" _opinionated,_ Kurt silently corrected, "-and she has the cutest laugh and..." he cut himself off and his face fell again, "...you'll love her."

_Just like you do_ Kurt thought. He suddenly understood why Finn was so angry. Here was Kurt, brought up outside the kingdom for eighteen years just marching back in and marrying the woman he loved. It was obvious Finn loved her from the way his face had lit up and the expressive way he had spoken of her. It wasn't just going to be Kurt's heart that would be broken thanks to this mess. How could he explain all this to Finn? To his step-brother, Kurt was just a stranger who was going to steal Rachel away from him.

"She sounds lovely," he replied meekly and fell back.

Finn guided them unseen round to the back of the palace. From the distant rabble, they could tell that the whole kingdom had gathered for the birthday/engagement celebration. None of them were affected by the festive atmosphere. Kurt - who had gazed at the palace so often from his bedroom window - couldn't even bring himself to look at it. The despair he was already feeling was matched with guilt and shame.

Finally, they reached the base of one of the highest towers. There was a heavy wooden door there which Finn had to unlock with the iron key hanging from a chain around his neck. Beyond the door they found themselves at the bottom of a spiral staircase that seemed to rise into infinity. It made Kurt dizzy just to look at it. He heard Brittany murmur something about missing her wings.

"At the top of the staircase there's a chamber you can wait in," Finn said, smiling a little meanly at the expression on Kurt's face, "A couple of guards will be stationed here in a couple of minutes so nobody can get in. Someone will come summon you at sunset. I have to go back into the palace."

"Thank you, Finn," Quinn said. She started climbing the stairs, followed by the other two. Kurt hung back for a moment.

"Hey, Finn?" he said softly.

"What?"

"For what it's worth, I'm so sorry about all this. Believe me when I say it's not what I want."

Finn looked momentarily surprised at this but eventually just made a non-committal noise. Kurt bowed his head,

"Thank you," he said and started up the stairs. The door slammed closed behind him, plunging them into almost complete darkness. The only light came from weak beams of sunlight coming in from slats in the stone. Sunset was fast approaching. Kurt noticed how his three guardians kept nervously glancing out then checking over their shoulders to see if he was still behind them.

"We should have waited," he heard Santana hiss.

"The sun will be down within the hour," was Quinn's response. They continued like this until they reached the chamber at the top of the tower. It was a large, circular room. In the middle there was a comfortable looking plush emerald couch and a table where refreshments had been laid out. Across the room there was a gold dressing table and a fireplace engraved with the Lima coat of arms. Brittany helped Kurt take off the cloak and led him to the stool in front of the dressing table. He followed her without argument. When he was seated, she opened one of the drawers and took out a box. Lying on red velvet within the box was a simple but lovely crown of gold which she placed on his head. He lowered his eyes.

"There. Now you look just like a prince," she said.

"We'll be over there," Santana said and the three walked away, leaving him sitting alone.

Kurt looked into the mirror. The crown on his head, the elegant clothing...it just didn't seem right. He might have looked like a prince but he didn't feel like one. It wasn't worth never seeing _him _again. He buried his head in his hands and allowed himself to succumb to tears. Across the room, his guardians were watching him.

"I don't like it when Kurt's sad," Brittany said, resting her head on Santana's shoulder, "It makes everyone else sad."

"He'll get over it," Santana replied in an attempt at her usual sass but like her earlier joke, it fell flat. Her heart just wasn't in it. Quinn glanced out the window,

"A couple of minutes now. God, I'm such a wreck. I can only imagine how Burt must be feeling."

"I swear," Santana spat, "As soon as this is over, I'm marching straight over to Sebastian's castle on Mount Creepy Bastard and-"

She didn't finish her sentence as the room was suddenly plunged into an absolute silence. Kurt raised his head from his arms. It was like he had suddenly gone deaf; he couldn't even hear the excitable sounds of the gathered crowd outside anymore. In the reflection of the mirror he could see that his guardians had stopped moving.

"Brittany?" he said uneasily as he rose to his feet, "Quinn? Santana?"

Santana's hand was still raised mid-gesture and her mouth was open but no sound came out. It was as if they had just been frozen solid but when he touched Santana's hand, it felt as warm and lifelike as ever. He jumped at a grinding noise coming from behind him and quickly turned. There was a sphere of green light floating in the fireplace, the back of which was sliding away to reveal a passage. At least that would explain the noise. The light started to make its way through the passage but stopped before it disappeared out of sight and bobbed up and down on the spot, as if indicating for him to follow. He could just see a staircase beyond it. He bit his lip. It didn't seem like a particularly good idea. However, his legs had other ideas and led him forward seemingly of their own accord. As he followed the bobbing light, he heard the noise of the entrance to the secret passage shutting itself over.

_As soon as the back of the fireplace slid firmly back into place, time unfroze. The fae felt the coldness in the room. Even with the sinking sun still shining through the window, it still seemed oddly dark. Dark, except for the remains of a strange green glow. Kurt was gone._

_"Sebastian!" Santana cried._

_"Kurt!" Brittany added. _

_They leapt to their feet. _

_"Where could he have gone?" the raven-haired young woman looked desperately around the room. Her eyes fell to the fireplace, "It's a castle, it must be filled with secret passages."_

_"And if there's not, you can bet Sebastian made one," Quinn said. She pointed her wand at the brick and sure enough, it slid back noisily to reveal a staircase. However, as soon as they had placed one foot on the bottom step, it melted together to give way to a slide. Since Kurt didn't instantly come sliding down it, it was clear that this was the work of dark magic. _

_"Wings?" Brittany suggested. _

_"Wings," Quinn agreed. With another burst of magic, their wings had returned and they were on their way, yelling warnings for Kurt not to touch anything that he might encounter when he reached the top._

The stairs led to a drafty chamber at the very top of the tower. When Kurt looked up he could see the ceiling rising to a point. A sinister looking green-black bird leered down at him from the rafters. The room was empty except for an unusual object against one wall. It consisted of a large wheel with a sharp looking point at one side. Kurt had never seen such a thing before. Standing next to it was a handsome man with cold green eyes and a rather cruel smile. He was holding a sceptre. The sceptre was the source of the light that had lured Kurt up here.

"Good evening," the man said pleasantly enough. There was a note of something like amusement in his voice.

"What is it?" Kurt asked, unable to take his eyes off the object.

"It's a spinning wheel," came the reply.

"A spinning wheel?" he had heard Brittany mention it once but Santana had shushed her like it was something vulgar. He couldn't tell what was so bad about it. The man turned the wheel and Kurt noticed a spool of thread trailing from the wheel onto the ground.

"You know, touching the spindle is good luck."

Kurt took a step forward, surveying the point. It looked sharp. He frowned, "I don't think pricking your finger is good luck."

"What's a moment's pain when it follows with good?" he smirked, "You look like you could use some luck."

There was something about the man that seemed off to Kurt. What was he doing here? Why had Santana, Quinn and Brittany froze like that? Why did the man want him to touch the spindle? Suddenly he felt foolish for following the light. Something about the spinning wheel filled him with a sense of foreboding - especially the gleaming point. He didn't want to be alone here with this man anymore. He gave the stranger a weak smile,

"Thanks but...I think I'll take my chances elsewhere."

"Are you sure?" he held up a sceptre, the orb at the top burning bright. As Kurt looked into the glowing light, he felt his muscles relax. He felt strangely at ease as if all his troubles were melting away. His mind went blank. When the man spoke again his voice sounded oddly distant, like he was speaking from the end of a long tunnel, "Go on. What's the worst that could happen?"

Kurt raised his hand. What could be the harm, after all? He heard more voices.

"Kurt, no!" "Don't listen to him!" "Don't touch _anything_!"

For a moment his mind cleared. He knew those voices. He trusted them. And if they said not to then perhaps...

"They lied to you," the first voice, "For all these years-" a pang of pain. A memory of a handsome face. A cold voice telling him he could never see his love again. Lies. Eighteen years of lies. His heart wrenched below his ribcage, "-touch the spindle and all your pain will go away."

The words sounded like a promise. The other voices melted away. All he could focus on was the spindle of the spinning wheel. He reached out...closer...closer...

"KURT!" they reached the top of the staircase just in time to see Kurt swoon and fall to the floor at Sebastian's feet, a single drop of blood sliding from the small puncture on his index finger. The augrey was flying in circles around the room cawing gleefully and Sebastian howled with laughter,

"Nice try," he said, nudging the unconscious boy with his foot "But did you really think you could outsmart me?"

Santana leapt forward but Quinn and Brittany grabbed her shoulders and pulled her back. Sebastian grinned,

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have an important meeting I'm running late for."

The augrey sunk down and perched itself on Sebastian's shoulder, who hit his sceptre against the ground. The fae shielded their eyes against the blinding light. When the light faded the room was empty. Sebastian had vanished and, worse still, so had Kurt.

Outside the sun sunk below the horizon. There was the sound of fanfare and great celebration. Above the noise the town crier called out,

"The sun has set. Prepare to meet your prince."

**NB 2: The augrey and doxy are animals mentioned in Harry Potter (property of JK Rowling). If you own a copy of "Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them" you'll find the descriptions.**


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm so sorry this took longer for me to finish than I had originally anticipated. I'm terrible at finishing stories. Same warnings apply as the last chapter only in a greater abundance (still no smut though :-P). Again, inspired by Disney and Harry Potter and fantasy novels (including The Land Of Stories this time around…because of reasons). There's also a little bit of something Wicked (;-)). Big thanks to everyone who reviewed/favourited/followed, you're all awesome!**

**I don't own anything; characters are the intellectual property of Ryan Murphy and Fox. The title, although it's not the full name, is from the song title "It's A Kind Of Magic" by Queen. I'm a poor student so please don't sue.**

* * *

The first thing Blaine noticed when he saw the hunter's cottage was how deprived of life it seemed.

"Whoa, Pavarotti," he said, pulling on the reins of his palomino horse to a halt as it trod into the clearing that surrounded the pale-blue house. He frowned a little. The windows were in complete darkness and the front door was lying ajar. He wondered if he had arrived at the right place. He must have - it was the only building for miles around. He dismounted from the horse,

"What do you think, Pav?" he asked, "Do you think this is the place?"

Pavarotti gave a short whinny that might have said that he had a bad feeling about this. He jerked his head as if making to try and turn around. Blaine rolled his eyes,

"Don't be such a wimp," he said, "If you be brave, I might be able to slip you a carrot or two for your dinner tonight."

The bribe of carrots worked and the horse stilled. Blaine gave Pavarotti a comforting pat on the face and tied the reins to the picket fence running around the house.

Despite scolding Pavarotti, by the time Blaine reached the doorstep he was starting to feel uneasy himself. The cottage had the definite look of a place that had been abandoned in a hurry and the closer he got, the more the hair on the back of his neck seemed to stick up. He couldn't hear anything coming from inside the house. It was only the thought of getting to see the boy that made him forget his reservations and knock on the door,

"Hello?" he called out, "It's um...me...Blaine," and then he remembered that they hadn't exchanged names, "From the village?"

"Come in!" an unfamiliar voice called from inside and the door edged forward. Blaine started but shook his head and stepped over the threshold.

If he thought the outside looked forbidding, it was nothing compared to the interior. The room was in almost complete darkness and there was a banner hanging from the beams on the ceiling that read "Hapy birfday Kurt!" (_Kurt? Is that his name? _Blaine thought. _As in...? No. It couldn't be...could it?_). In normal circumstances it might have made a pleasant decoration but at that moment it just added to the feeling of abandonment. Blaine unsheathed his sword,

"Kurt?" he called out. A noise made him wheel around and his heart leapt into his throat. Sitting on the top of a three-tier cake was a lone doxy, gorging itself. Although Blaine had never seen one of these creatures in the flesh he knew two definite facts about them; a) they were nasty little buggers and b) they never travelled alone. He backed up a step and then gasped in shock and pain as a pair of teeth sank into the back of his neck. He slapped his hand against the bite and sure enough swatted another doxy. He had caught the one on the cake's attention and it looked up. A sound of awful jibbering filled the room and suddenly there were creatures flying at him from everywhere. He swung his sword blindly but it was no use - he was hopelessly outnumbered. They buried their fangs into every bit of bare skin they could find, tearing at his clothes. He cried out in pain from the poisonous bites. No...it was more than pain. Every bite felt like a red-hot brand. He dropped his sword and sank to his knees, no longer able to stay on his feet. The only thing he could think was that he had been led into some sort of trap.

Though his eyes were drifting out of focus, a pair of booted feet appeared on the ground in front of him and the creatures finally released him. A hand grabbed his chin to force him to look up. Had Blaine had the energy, he might have screamed at the face that he saw. He hadn't seen it in years and despite how young he had been when he had, he had never been able to forget it. It had given him nightmares for years - the face of the dark fae, Sebastian. Sebastian was wearing a smile that suggested his birthday had come early.

"Well, well, well," he said slowly. Blaine wanted nothing more than to bite Sebastian's hand but it was all he could do to remain conscious. It felt as though his blood had been replaced by acid. One doxy bite was toxic enough...he had endured hundreds, "I come here expecting to find some love-struck peasant and what do I get? A prince!" the doxies laughed evilly and Sebastian's eyes flashed, "I hate to be the one to tell you that Prince Kurt won't be able to make it but I'm here to extend you a little invitation to my castle."

Blaine's eyes rolled back in his skull, no longer able to fight unconsciousness. The last thing he heard as his head dropped back down was Sebastian barking at his minions,

"Take him away!"

* * *

"What are we going to do?" Santana asked. Barely five minutes had passed since Sebastian had vanished but it felt more like a lifetime. They were all thinking the same thing; they had been _so _close. Where had they gone wrong? The defeat stung.

"We should just explain to Burt what happened-" Quinn eventually said.

"Oh _hell _no. Burt would skin us alive," Santana snapped then added grimly, "And we'd deserve it."

"What do you suggest we do? We can't lie about it."

Not that either woman wanted to be the one to tell Burt that not only had Sebastian's cursed been fulfilled, he had taken Kurt's body away with him. Sebastian knew from the moment that Kurt had touched the spinning wheel that the curse had been softened by Santana's gift and wasn't going to make it easy for them. Brittany, who had been looking out of the window at the celebration for the past five minutes, turned.

"We could always make everyone else sleep," she said. Her eyebrows were knitted together in rare thoughtfulness, "That means we don't have to lie."

Santana opened her mouth, perhaps to say that was the stupidest thing that she had ever heard but as Brittany's suggestion sank in, the words died.

"Britt," she said after a long silence, "You are a genius," she gave a tiny, loving smile as Brittany blushed. It wasn't often she received such a compliment. She turned to Quinn, "We could do it, you know. We could put everyone in the kingdom into an enchanted sleep until the spell is broken."

"But-" Quinn looked like she wanted to argue but even she had to admit, it was the best (and only) plan they had. Eventually, she conceded defeat and nodded, "You're right. After all, we don't know how long it'll be before the spell is broken. It could take a century for all we know."

"Let's hope not-"

There was a loud knock on the locked chamber door which made all three women jump,

"King Burt requests the presence of his son," a voice called out.

"Just a minute he's um..." Santana scanned the room for inspiration, "In the restroom!" She turned to Brittany and Quinn,

"Okay, here's what we do. We split up and put everyone to sleep. Britt, you deal with the East - that's the opposite of where the sun set - and Quinn you deal with the West-" Quinn nodded solemnly, "I'll take care of the North and South. Make sure that nobody is left awake and we'll meet back here when we're done."

She pointed her wand at the door and it swung open. The servant standing there straightened up,

"King Burt requests the presence of his son," he repeated.

"Yeah, we heard you the first time," she said. Before the servant could say anything more, Santana had cast the spell on him. He blinked then yawned,

"If y-you j-just want to...to..." he slumped against the door frame as he struggled to stay awake, "follow...me..." his words ended in a loud snore.

"Let's go," Santana said. The fae shrunk down until they were barely larger than butterflies and began their journey around the kingdom to put everyone into the enchanted sleep, a spell that would only be broken when Kurt awoke.

In the great hall Burt was pacing, his eyes never leaving the door. The gathered nobles were watching just as eagerly. They didn't notice the speck of red fly in through the window until the silvery sparks had showered over them. It started slowly - Prince Finn yawned widely and was rewarded by a death glare from his mother, only for her to yawn straight after. Princess Rachel slumped against her father who had already fallen asleep where he stood. Burt half-staggered towards his throne and sat down heavily. Everyone was asleep in seconds.

It carried on like this until everyone in the kingdom; every civilian, visitor and creature alike were asleep. A subdued darkness covered the kingdom as even the flames from torches and candles flickered and died. It was within a matter of minutes that all three had returned to the tower.

"That's it," Santana said when she arrived, "Now all we have to do is find Kurt, find someone to break the spell, kick Sebastian's ass and we're done."

"Is that all?" Quinn returned sarcastically, "We don't even know who Kurt's true love is!"

"What about the boy from Dalton?" Brittany said. Santana folded her arms and scowled.

"The boy who caused this mess?" she raged, "If Kurt hadn't wandered off and met this guy he wouldn't have been in such a pissy mood and wouldn't have fallen into Sebastian's trap and then we wouldn't have had to deal with this-"

"Maybe that's the point," Quinn said, "You said it yourself when Burt burned all the spinning wheels, the curse coming true was an inevitability. Maybe this was all meant to happen, that Kurt would meet his true love so that when that moment came, we would know who was meant to break the spell."

"That sounds a little too convenient. This isn't a fairytale."

"It's worth investigating. He was supposed to meet him at our house at sunset, remember? It's not been long...maybe he's still there."

Santana shrugged, "It's the only plan we have."

* * *

The first thing they saw when they arrived at the cottage was the torn reins of a horse still hanging from the picket fence. There were tread marks on the grass leading into the house but none leaving.

"Looks like we might be too late," Quinn said. She pushed open the door and they had to cover their noses at the stench of doxy droppings. The smell wasn't stale.

"Eurgh! What the hell?!" Santana breathed.

"This can't be good," Quinn said. Brittany gave a small shriek as she trod on something on the floor. Quinn cast a spell to flood the room in light and Brittany screamed again to find that she had stood on the corpse of a doxy. There was at least ten littering the filthy floor. The inside was a mess; furniture had been overturned and the colorful decorations had been torn from the rafters. It looked like someone had trashed the house. There were scraps of fine material and a bloodstained sword lying on the ground nearby, "Oh god..."

Santana tiptoed over the bodies until she reached the sword. She tucked her hair behind her ears and crouched down,

"Looks like we're definitely too late-" she began then frowned. She picked up the sword and studied it. There was a coat of arms inlaid on the hilt; an ornate "D" within a shield, "Hold on...that's the Dalton royal crest."

There were only two people who would have such a sword. The king of Dalton, who she had sent to sleep herself and...

"Unless Kurt found himself a thief to fall in love with, this sword is Prince Blaine's," she said and passed the sword to Quinn so she could look too.

"No, it couldn't be," Quinn said, "He was at the palace with his family."

"Well, I didn't see anyone who fit the description of a hobbit. The rest of his family was there but not him. Did you?"

She thought about it but she didn't recall seeing anyone who even vaguely resembled the handsome young man, "No."

"Britt?"

The blonde shook her head. Santana let out a breathy laugh, "Well, what do you know."

"But that means Sebastian has him," Quinn pointed out. There was no use in celebrating just yet. The doxies were Sebastian's minions and if Blaine wasn't here in the cottage, then he would be a prisoner in Sebastian's castle.

"We have to save him so he can wake Kurt," Brittany said. Her eyes had lost the dreamy look that they constantly had. She looked more determined than she had ever been in her long life. Though Brittany wasn't the sharpest tool in the box, nothing bad could be said about her protectiveness of Kurt.

Santana bit her lip but then jutted out her jaw determinedly, "It's a good thing I've been looking for a reason to go to Sebastian's castle and kick him right in the balls."

* * *

Hidden in the mountains behind the wreck that was Sebastian's castle, the dark fae had erected a high tower of about one hundred feet without any doors or stairs. The circular room at the top could only be reached by a small arched widow, only just big enough for someone to fit through. Within the tower Kurt lay on a makeshift stone bed and dreamed of his true love. Around twenty doxies were guarding the base and there was a solid hedge of thorns almost as high as the tower encircling the area. These were unlike any other thorns; the hedge had been cursed so if anyone should touch it, the thorns would wrap around them like a snake and drag them to a slow, agonizing death. Several animals had already fallen victim.

The prison was positioned so that Sebastian could see it from the throne chamber although at that moment, his attention was elsewhere. In the centre of the room his minions had prepared a huge bonfire in celebration - mockingly similar to that which burned the spinning wheels eighteen years earlier. They were dancing and chattering excitedly, growing louder and more vulgar as time passed. Sebastian watched from his throne in amusement. He turned to the augrey that was perched on the arm of his throne,

"It's a shame our trophy-I mean, our _visitor_ has to miss out on our celebration," he said, "He must be lonely. Perhaps we should go and pay him a visit."

The bird cawed in agreement and Sebastian rose.

The dungeon was located deep under the castle, so far down that the air felt damp and there were stalagmites and stalactites growing from the ceiling and floor. It was a cold, dreadful place. Sebastian glided down the rotting stairs, his pet on his shoulder.

Within the dungeon, Blaine looked up as he heard the footsteps approaching. He was sitting on the freezing ground, his wrists shackled with chains attached to the wall behind him. He had been force-fed some sort of antitode (_to stop me dropping dead from doxy venom _he thought angrily) but every part of him was still aching. Blood matted his hair and clothes. He felt like a fool for walking straight into a trap and could only hope that Kurt was safe. Well, as safe as he could be when Sebastian's dreadful curse had been fulfilled.

"Good evening," Sebastian said. He unlocked the door and strode into the dungeon, "I hope you find this room to your liking."

From his tone of voice it was as if he wasn't referring to a dungeon. Blaine averted his eyes and didn't reply.

"Not very chatty, I see. A little rude considering I came all the way down here because I thought you would be lonely but I'm prepared to forgive you."

He was loving every second of this. The twisted happiness made Blaine sick to his stomach. Sebastian continued talking in a casual manner, ignoring the less-than-warm welcome he had received.

"I _know _you're angry with me but necessary precautions had to be taken-" he said, "And if you must know, your little lover boy is safe."

Blaine couldn't stop himself from looking up at the mention of Kurt. Sebastian grinned,

"Ah. That got your attention, didn't it? Look-" he made circular motions with his hand over his sceptre. The light inside swirled as he did so and a cloud of mist rose over their heads. Although it started off completely opaque, shapes began to form within the mist until it almost appeared to become a window into another room. This room wasn't entirely dissimilar to the prison in which Blaine was being held except there was a raised platform in the centre where he could make out a figure lying asleep, "Waiting in a tower for true love's kiss lies a prince of legendary beauty. But wait-" Sebastian gave a mocking gasp as the cloud showed Kurt's face. He was even more breathtaking than Blaine remembered and the corner of his mouth was turned up in a sweet smile. It was the same smile that Blaine had seen right before he had first kissed him, "-it's none other than the handsome young man you fell in love with earlier this very day. He waits for you to wake him up with true love's kiss. And you will-" his sneer widened at the expression of shock on Blaine's face. He waved his hand again and the image changed to that of a bridge being lowered on the moat of the very castle they were in, "-one hundred years will pass and the story of the sleeping kingdom will pass into legend. Only then will the gates will be flung open for you-" trotting weakly out of the palace was an age-weakened Pavarotti. His head was hanging low and he was moving slowly with fatigue. However, the horse was nothing compared to the aged Blaine on top. His body was hunched over with arthritis and his long hair and beard (_beard!_) were completely white. Most of his facial features were lost behind wrinkles. Of course, he was one hundred and twenty years old. Horse and rider were making their way towards a high tower not too far away from the castle, "-and you will emerge triumphant to wake him up with true love's kiss!"

Blaine's temper got the better of him and he leapt up, determined to get to Sebastian. His wrists screamed in protest as he pulled them against the iron shackles. He didn't get very far. Sebastian was just inches out of his reach, who was cackling at the attempt. He waited until an exhausted Blaine had given up before speaking again.

"Temper, temper," he tutted. He waved his hand and the cloud dispersed into nothingness.

"I'm going to kill you," Blaine snarled.

"We'll see about that," he gave his prisoner a predatory once-over and smirked, "You know, one hundred years is a long time. It would be a waste of such a handsome young man to leave you rotting here in the dungeon-" he reached out and put a hand on Blaine's cheek, "I'm sure we can think of other ways to keep you occupied-" he yelped as Blaine turned his head and bit Sebastian hard - finally glad to be able to do so. He didn't let go even when the taste of blood filled his mouth, "You little-!" Sebastian swung his sceptre and caught Blaine on the left side of the face, causing him to cry out and crumple back to the ground. His eyes watered but the throbbing pain was worth it - Sebastian's hand was bleeding and he was no longer smiling.

"Fine," he said flatly, "If that's the way you're going to be. We'll see if you're still so rebellious after let's see...a week without food or water. Farewell."

He left the dungeon, slamming the door behind him. Blaine spat out the piece of flesh he had bit off and wiped his cheek with his sleeve. The sceptre had left a large cut where it had met his face and his eye had already swollen up so much he could hardly see through it. Still...what was another wound to add to his already generous supply? He almost hoped that he would die of thirst before the week had passed - anything to escape here.

* * *

Sneaking into the Sebastian's castle had proven far easier than they would have imagined. It seemed that Sebastian's arrogance had got the better of him and he was too preoccupied in celebrating his victory to pay heed to the security of his lair. The trinity had never challenged him directly before so what did he have to worry about? This didn't mean that Quinn, Brittany and Santana didn't take the utmost care while sneaking into the castle. Once more, they had shrunk themselves down to a miniscule size.

"They look happy," Quinn muttered, peering over the side of an empty torch bracket sticking out from the wall of the throne chamber. The doxies were causing such a ruckus that she and Brittany - Santana had gone alone to try and rescue Blaine's horse - had managed to reach here unnoticed. The bonfire was burning brighter than ever. The creatures danced around the fire. At first it sounded as if they were just tunelessly jibbering but soon the fae could make out the words of an unpleasant song;

_"The prince is asleep and nobody's calling, while his father's kingdom will come falling. His true love won't come a-kissing, coz he's rotting in our master's prison!" _

"We need a second verse!" one of the creatures shouted.

"What rhymes with _slave_?" another responded with a nasty laugh.

"I hate doxies," Quinn grimaced.

"At least we know that Blaine is in the dungeon," Brittany whispered back.

They moved stealthily keeping close to the shadowed walls. The door behind Sebastian's throne was lying open and they kept an eye out to make sure that Sebastian himself didn't reappear. For once, they were grateful that he had that hideous bird because they would hear its cawing as it approached. They found themselves at the end of a long hallway. There was a lone portrait about halfway down. It was a portrait of the dark fae who was rumored to be the one who first created the dark arts. Her name was Maleficent. She was a severe though beautiful woman whose face was all sharp angles, from her cheekbones to her widow's peak - the only part of her hair visible below a black headdress. Despite Maleficent being painted on canvas, her glowing eyes seemed horribly lifelike. She stared down at the two women almost accusingly.

"She's always scared me," Brittany said quietly. They heard a caw from behind the portrait.

"Quick!" Quinn hissed and they hid in a crack in the wall opposite the portrait. The canvas swung open to reveal a hole in the wall from which Sebastian emerged. He was cursing under his breath and was holding his hand in front of him. It appeared to be bleeding.

"I hope it hurts," whispered Brittany. Her tone was uncommonly venomous. The bird's head whipped round and she only just managed to duck out of view. Its eyes narrowed suspiciously as it turned back.

"Let's hope our visitor learns some respect," they heard Sebastian say as he walked away.

"Entrance to the dungeon?"

"Looks like it," Quinn agreed. They waited until Sebastian had disappeared through the door at the end of the hall before they made any attempt to emerge from their hiding place. No spell they knew worked to open the entrance and it took the physical strength of both women - fully-sized - to force the portrait to move. They collapsed in a messy heap when the entrance finally gave way to reveal the circular passage.

"That was easy," Quinn winced. They made themselves tiny again and flew down the drafty staircase, further and further underground until they reached another passage. As unpleasant as the rest of the castle was, it was nothing compared to this. The despair in the air was palpable even though the dungeons must not have been in use for many years. The ancient skeletons of prisoners were still chained in a number of the otherwise empty cells and the smell of decay stung their nose and eyes. Finally they reached the only locked door in the passage. There was a tiny, barred window cut roughly into the solid wood.

"There he is," the elder fae said. Prince Blaine was sitting against the opposite wall, his arms bound in chains and looking worse for wear. His clothes were torn and almost every visible piece of skin was covered in blood. As they entered the cell through the window he looked up. The left side of his face was swollen beyond all recognition; his eye was barely more than a slit and there was a long gash running down the length of his cheek.

"Who's there?" he said suspiciously. His uninjured eye widened in surprise as the women returned to full height. Once more, these were faces he knew from his past and even so, he would have recognized them instantly as fae. Quinn put her finger to her lip to indicate he remain silent. He made a small noise of relief and whispered, "Boy am I glad to see you two."

"What happened to your face?" Brittany asked.

"I bit Sebastian and he hit me with his sceptre," Blaine replied. He let out a pained hiss and massaged his wrists as Brittany magicked the shackles off them. They were red raw. On this admission, Brittany had to cover her mouth to suppress a giggle while Quinn looked horrified. Suddenly they knew why Sebastian's hand had been bleeding.

"So...let me get this straight," Quinn said disapprovingly, "Sebastian is the most powerful, evil sorcerer of this age and you _bit _him."

Blaine shrugged, "He shouldn't have touched me."

This time Brittany couldn't stop herself from laughing out loud.

"It's not funny," Quinn scolded, "You're lucky it wasn't much worse!"

She tapped Blaine on the head with her wand and he felt a warm sensation run down his spine. As the warmth spread down to his toes he felt strength return to his muscles as the pain and the various bite wounds on his body faded.

"Thank you," he said. He would never take for granted being able to stretch his limbs again. The cut on his face still stung but it wasn't nearly as bad as it was seconds earlier and he could now see out of both his eyes.

"At least the swelling has gone down," Quinn said, "I guess it'll take longer to heal because even though it wasn't caused by magic itself, you still got the cut from a powerful magical object."

"He has Kurt in a tower behind his castle," Blaine said suddenly, remembering the vision that Sebastian had shown him, "We have to save him-" he rushed forward but Brittany held out her arm.

"You can't go out there without anything."

"Good thing Santana isn't here otherwise she'd be encouraging just that," Quinn retorted. She turned to Blaine, "But Britt's right. Let me see...a sword of righteousness," she cast a spell and a beautiful sword appeared in Blaine's hand. It was a beautiful creation; the blade shone silver in the light and the handle was inlaid with precious jewels. He swung it to see how it felt; it was balanced perfectly and felt wonderfully light in his hand, "And a shield of truth." A shield joined the sword. It appeared impenetrable but, like the sword, it seemed almost weightless. The design on the shield was that of the Dalton crest.

"Thanks," he grinned.

"Save Kurt," Brittany said earnestly, "Please."

He nodded, "I will."

Suddenly there was the sound of screeching, loud enough to wake the whole castle. They all looked at the door just in time to see Sebastian's augrey fly back up the passage, screeching as it did. It had followed the fae down here.

"So much for a sneaky exit," Quinn groaned. She turned and rapped Blaine hard on the head with her wand, who yelped.

"What was that for?"

"Protection against more doxy bites."

"You didn't have to do it so hard."

"Well, we're kind of on a tight schedule."

The sound of the augrey was still echoing through the staircase; it wouldn't be long before the sound would attract Sebastian and his minions, if it hadn't already. Quinn was mumbling at an impressive speed under her breath and as she did, a blue aura became visible around her. She grabbed Blaine and Brittany's hands. There was a whooshing noise and the room around them vanished. They appeared seconds later just outside the main doors of the castle.

"Whoa..." Blaine gasped, disorientated. The instant in limbo between disappearing and reappearing hadn't been particularly enjoyable. His stomach churned.

"Sadly I can only use that trick once," Quinn said, "That spell takes a lot out of me."

They were standing in a huge courtyard that was at least a century past its prime. There were stone archways surrounding them. Leering down over them was a number of gargoyles and statues that looked horribly like members of the fae who had gone missing over the years. Across the courtyard they could see the raised gate that would take them to the moat, with imposing steel spikes sticking out of the bottom.

Blaine set off at a sprint across the courtyard, Brittany and Quinn miniscule sparks flying alongside him. He halted as doxies poured out from seemingly everywhere - just as they had did in the cottage. The two fae shot spells in all directions but there was too many to hold them all off. Before long they were surrounded. Blaine tightened his grip on his sword, his expression set in stony determination; _just _try _to attack me again _he thought savagely.

"Where's San-?" Brittany began but just as she said that, a large number of the doxies were thrown aside as Pavarotti galloped out of one of the tall archways, Santana being the rider. Like Quinn had when she cast the spell to transport them here, she was surrounded by a red aura. The spell seemed to be preventing the doxies from getting too close.

"Come on!" she yelled and the horse drew to an abrupt stop where the others were standing. Blaine sheathed his sword, grabbed the reins and mounted the horse. In an impressive feat, Santana had wheeled herself around so that she had her back against Blaine's and was facing backwards to keep an eye on their pursuers. She couldn't perform any other magic while casting the protective spell.

"Doxies are idiots," she commented as doxies still tried to attack, savagely launching themselves at the escapees. When they reached the forcefield the spell created, they were thrown back. It was obvious the use of such powerful magic was taking its toll on Santana. At one instance, the protection failed and it was only Blaine's quick swordsmanship that prevented disaster. Santana's face had paled and a small trickle of blood slid from her nose but she carried on regardless.

The augrey flew over their heads, screeching. It seemed that Sebastian hadn't got the memo that they were trying to escape just yet, because he hadn't made an appearance.

"I have to do something," Brittany said. She shot upwards.

"Brittany!" Quinn yelled but there was no time to go after her. Brittany advanced toward the augrey, which gave a terrified shriek and abruptly changed the direction of its flight. She shot a spell at it but it missed, the sparks flying over its head. The doxies were too busy trying to stop Blaine from escaping to help the bird. Predator and prey moved speedily, barely more than black and green blurs as the augrey desperately tried to throw Brittany off course by taking sharp turns, ducking under archways and around towers. It kept managing to avoid the fae's magic though once or twice it was a close call and the feathers on its back got singed. Brittany realized soon enough that simply chasing the augrey would get her nowhere - she would have to trick it. She backed up and flew in the opposite direction. The augrey was too terrified it didn't even notice her double-back. She flew around to the back of the castle where there were more gargoyles overlooking the empty moat. She hid in the mouth of one until she could hear the augrey come to a halt. It fluttered down onto the gargoyle's head and Brittany could see its beak curl up in a twisted sort of, well, as close to a smile as a bird can do. It was just what she had been hoping for; it thought it had out-flew her. She re-emerged from her hiding place and this time she was too fast for the augrey - it opened its mouth to screech but before the noise had escaped, she had turned it to stone. Brittany smiled and shot back to the others, who had only just made out of the gates before it came slamming down behind them. Freedom was so close now. Santana slumped down against Blaine as fatigue finally got the better of her.

"They're raising the bridge!" Quinn yelled, motioning to the moat.

Blaine snapped the reins to encourage Pavarotti to go faster. The bridge was already at a steep angle - any higher and they'd be trapped. They took up a sprint and managed to leap over, only just clearing the empty but deep moat. Sharp rocks stuck up from the bottom. Pavarotti's back legs scrambled on the crumbling mud on the edge before he managed to regain his footing.

"Good boy!" Blaine cried.

Drawn by the commotion from outside, Sebastian appeared on one of the turrets overlooking the moat just in time to see Blaine flee away. He could see the three colorful sparks that told him exactly who had helped him. He heaved a sigh,

"I should have just killed him when I had the chance," he said, "Aren't I just a sucker for a pretty face, my pet?"

When there was no reply, Sebastian scowled. He turned his head and his eyes bulged.

Even from the distance they heard him scream in fury.

"That's not a good sound," Blaine said, looking back over his shoulder. A dark purple cloud formed over the castle and a fork of black lightning tore through the sky.

As they reached the treacherous mountains Blaine had to pull on Pavarotti's reins to halt him. The rocks were steep and sharp and he could see the wall of thorns ahead. He would have to climb from herein. He dismounted and patted the horse on the face.

"I'm sorry, Pav," he said gently, "I didn't mean for this to happen."

The horse gave a short whinny and nuzzled his head against Blaine's shoulder to let him know that he was forgiven.

"Good boy. I'll make sure you have a whole bunch of carrots with every meal. It's too dangerous for you here now," he said, "Run to the west until you're far enough away from here then head back to the palace, ok?"

He slapped the horse on the rump and Pavarotti ran. Sebastian and his minions would be too preoccupied to pay him any heed. Blaine turned to his rescuers,

"Thank you, I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't turned up," he said.

"You would have ended up Sebastian's bitch, for a start," Santana was exhausted - she had slid off Pavarotti's back and was now clinging to Brittany for support - but she managed her patented smirk.

"If Sebastian is angry he'll do everything in his power to make sure you don't get to Kurt," Quinn said. As clear an effort as it was, Santana straightened up,

"I'll go try and buy you some time."

"No!" Blaine cried, "I can't ask you to do that. You've already done too much."

"It's a good thing you didn't ask," she replied matter-of-factly. If she was scared, she was doing a commendable job of hiding it, "Britt, you go with Blaine."

Brittany nodded, "I will."

"Santana...are you sure?" Quinn said, biting her lip, "I should-"

"I've been looking for an excuse to go _all _Lima Heights Adjacent on his ass for eighteen years. I'll be fine."

"Then I'll stay here and make sure nobody tries to get past."

"Thank you so much," Blaine replied, "For everything."

Brittany hugged Santana tight.

"Be safe," she whispered. The moment between them was so intimate that Blaine and Quinn turned away to give them privacy. Santana caressed Brittany's face, brushing her cheek with her finger. Brittany leaned into the touch, closing her eyes.

"I will be," Santana said, "I promise I'll return to you."

She kissed her. When they broke apart, she quickly wiped her eyes,

"Well, what are you waiting for!" she snapped at Blaine, "Get going hobbit, you've got a prince to save!"

She squared her shoulders, turning towards the castle.

Brittany grabbed Blaine's wrist, "Come on," she said.

With one backwards glance at the two women who were risking their lives, Blaine clambered over the boulders.

"Are you ready for this?" Quinn said nervously.

"Sure. It'll be fun," Santana gave her a reassuring smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, "I'll try and help you as much as I can."

"Kick Sebastian's ass for me," Quinn said. They hugged before Santana flew back towards the castle, shooting spells at the advancing hoard. She didn't stop until she reached Sebastian's castle. He was chanting under his breath and rotating his sceptre in circles. Whatever spell he was performing wasn't going to be good for them. He didn't notice the speck flying towards him until it collided with his stomach, breaking the spell. He staggered back a step and the clouds over his head dispersed.

Santana landed in front of him and returned to full height. Sebastian's face momentarily betrayed surprised but it didn't last long. He was no longer smiling; his mouth was a harsh line carved into his skin.

"Santana Lopez," he drawled.

"Sebastian Smythe," she returned. Rage was quivering in her every syllable.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" he tipped his head to the side, "You're not going to bitch at me, are you?"

She clenched her fists, "I'm here to stop you, actually."

Sebastian doubled-over in false laughter.

"Oh ha ha ha I'm not kidding," she spat. Sebastian raised an eyebrow in surprise,

"You're really trying to challenge me, Sa-queer-a?" he chuckled darkly, "On your own...without your little friends."

Santana tried not to show her intimidation on her face. Sebastian had a point. The Trinity combined wasn't powerful enough and here she was, aware of how very alone she was. She tossed back her head.

"You shouldn't have messed with our kid."

"_Your _kid? Surely that gay-faced little princess hasn't made you soft?"

"You've gone too far this time, Sebastian. You're not going to hurt anyone else," she raised her wand and prepared herself for the fight. He walked in a slow circle around her. She kept her eyes on him - she wasn't foolish enough to turn her back on him,

"Why should we fight?" Sebastian said, "You're..." he struggled to find the word, "_kind of_ powerful. The girl I knew back before my exile was a fighter. She wanted - nay _deserved _- to be in control. Now look at you - lapdog to Farbray and burdened with that idiotic blonde. Do you really want to be a hostage to your own emotions for the rest of your life? Leave them. Fight with me."

Santana appeared almost interested. Sebastian leaned into her ear,

"We could have this kingdom on its knees."

Her eyes narrowed. She jumped back from him,

"See, you big fairy, that was the difference between you and me. I didn't need some douche-bag power trip to prove myself. And as for that 'idiotic blonde', she's worth twenty _thousand _of you. I know where my loyalties lie-" she eyed him like he was something nasty she might have found on the sole of her shoe, "-And they're not with you."

"Fine...if this is the way you want to play it," He made his first attack before he had even finished the sentence. Santana slashed her wand down and rebounded the spell. It missed Sebastian and hit the wall behind him which exploded, sending shards flying everywhere. Sebastian diverted the shards with a wave of his hand and Santana wasn't quite fast enough to stop herself being struck by them. She flew up and retaliated with a spell that destroyed one of the gargoyles. This time Sebastian didn't move away on time to stop himself being hurt. It left several marks on his face, the deepest being a cut above his eyebrow. Sebastian wasn't going to let a little thing like that put him off.

The next curse hit Santana's wings which instantly felt like lead weights on her back. She struggled to stay upright. Her knees seem to be made of jelly. She had to break his concentration again. She sent a hex at his foot to make his boot melt against his foot. Her wings were her own again but a shot of light hit the side of her face and she felt a gash open up. Her distractions were only working for seconds. There was nothing she could do; her magic was no match for his. Sebastian had sold his soul to the darkness for his powers.

_"Sebastian wouldn't be so tough if you took away that sceptre of his!" _

She had said it herself all those years ago. She had to get his sceptre from him. If she could do that, his powers would be broken. How she was going to do that was another matter completely. Fighting fair was going to be out of the question...Quinn wasn't going to be pleased.

Santana dived out of range of the next deadly spell and managed to send the only dark spell she knew back. It hit Sebastian's cape. The material took on a life of its own. It reared up behind him like a snake before wrapping itself around him. His sceptre was knocked out of his hands. He tore off the cape and tossed it aside before it caused any damage. His eyes darted around but he couldn't see his-

"Is this what you're looking for?" Santana said. Sebastian whipped around. She was standing on the edge of the roof, holding the sceptre above her head like a trophy. Sebastian's face paled and he looked horrified. She savoured the expression. He took a tiny step forward but she edged to the side to keep the same amount of distance between them.

"You wouldn't-" he said, betraying a hint of fear for the first time.

"Oh, I would." She allowed herself a triumphant grin and brought the sceptre crashing to the ground. Sebastian shrieked and dropped to his knees. The orb smashed into a thousand pieces, as it was finally destroyed. All that was left was the black pole and a slightly smoking gap at the top where the orb had been. Sebastian hid his face in his hands.

"Let's see how powerful you are now!" she declared as she tossed aside the remains of the sceptre. Sebastian lifted his head and...smiled. Actually smiled. Santana's own grin faded. She hadn't been anticipating that.

"The funny thing about that is..." he stretched out his arm, clenched his fist and suddenly Santana's own arms were pinned to her side. Sebastian got to his feet and she rose several feet in the air. Her legs kicked uselessly as she struggled.

"Nice try but I haven't needed that old thing to use magic for years," Sebastian said. He raised his arm slightly and Santana rose higher. She couldn't break free of the hold, "I only keep it because it looks good. You know it once belonged to Maleficent. Now...what do we do with you?"

He waved his hand and Santana jerked sickeningly from side to side.

"You're not going to win," she said defiantly. Sebastian chuckled,

"We'll see."

He flicked his wrist once more and sent her rocketing like a cannonball across the sky. She went flying into the one of the towers with a loud crash, straight through the solid wall. There was a rumbling sound and the tower collapsed around her, burying her below an avalanche of rock. When the dust cleared, all that was left was a huge pile of rocks. Her wand was lying nearby.

Sebastian watched for movement and after a while, seemed satisfied that she wouldn't make a miraculous escape. He stepped on the wand and snapped it below his heel.

"Stupid bitch," he said and swept away.

* * *

It took ten minutes of clambering over rocks before Blaine found himself standing before the huge wall of thorns. They didn't appear to have been followed - Quinn must have been doing a good job of keeping the minions at bay. The tendrils of the hedge were dark purple and the thorns a deep blood-red color. There was a strange stirring noise that seemed to becoming from within the thorns themselves. As Blaine watched it he was reminded of some kind of hungry wild animal, bracing itself to attack its prey. Brittany was walking towards it.

"Wait!" he called to her, "I have a bad feeling about this. Hold on."

He kicked a stone at the hedge. It landed close to the hedge. A creeper lunged out and wrapped around it like a snake. It pulled into the growth. He shook his head disbelievingly, "Cursed..."

"I'll see if I can get over it," Brittany said. She shot upwards but when she reached the top there was a loud crackling noise. When Brittany returned, she looked disorientated and there was a large, shiny burn on her arm. The smell of burning carried with her, "I can't get over it," she asserted, "There's some invisible electrificated thingy at the top."

"Hrm..." he studied it intently, "Can't get over it, and can't go round it...we'll have to go through it."

Blaine slashed at it with his sword. Some of the branches fell and left burning frayed edges where he had cut it down. As they watched, the damaged plant slowly started to repair itself. After a while the foliage had regrown and there was no sign that Blaine had cut it.

"Or we could use this," Blaine said, "But we'd have to be quick. Keep a hold of me so we don't get separated," he took a deep breath and started forward. Brittany grabbed his cape. He slashed and cut through the hedge. As he cut, he found that the creepers couldn't get too close but he was still uneasy - it felt like he was trawling through a snake pit with inhabitants that could attack at any second. He felt them snatch uncomfortably at his arms and legs before recoiling again. Brittany kept letting out tiny noises of fear which didn't comfort him any. The path re-grew behind them, soon leaving no sign that it had ever been there in the first place.

Finally they emerged at the other side but found that they weren't alone. A band of doxies were stationed at the bottom of the tower, their faces turned towards the unexpected arrivals. For the moment they were still, seemingly caught off guard. Blaine pulled a face.

"I hate doxies," he said quietly.

"You're not alone this time," Brittany said out of the corner of her mouth.

"You go this way," he jerked his head subtly to the left, "I'll go that way" and then to the right.

"Deal," she flew to the right.

"The right is-oh never mind-" he lunged to the left. He got an awful feeling of deja vu as they charged but this time he was more prepared. Thanks to Quinn's protection, what would have been painful bites felt like nothing more than pinpricks and there was no lingering burn from the poison. They changed tact and tried to force him back towards the thorns. He covered his face and torso with his shield and thrust forward his sword, while Brittany flew above him casting spells in all directions. Now that the doxies had lost their greatest weapon against them, it didn't take long for the pair to dispatch of them. He let out a long, satisfied breath as the last fell to his sword.

"Last obstacle," he said, looking up at the tower. He had to crane his neck to see the top. Brittany circled around it.

"There's no doors," she said.

"Did you really expect there to be?" Quinn's voice said from behind them. She was covered in small bites that were tinged with ugly greenish-yellow bruising but otherwise unharmed.

"Are you alright?" Blaine asked.

"I'm fine," she said, "Those doxies were pushovers. I turned them all into bubbles-" she bared her teeth, "And I had fun popping them all."

Blaine made a mental note never to get on her bad side and turned his attention back to the problem at hand. He considered his options. He thought about climbing but this proved to be problematic as the structure was completely smooth. There were no slats or uneven rocks that could be used to climb up, "Or maybe I won't climb" he thought out loud.

"I've got this," Brittany said. She closed her eyes and starting chanting. A haze of green surrounded her and her wand shone.

_"Eleka nahmen nahmen ah tu ah tum eleka nahmen!" _the spell almost sounded like a song. The dried dirt where Blaine was standing split and he leapt back as a vine burst out. It was the emerald green color of the dress that Brittany was wearing, and white flowers burst out from the stalk. It climbed up the side of the tower and the large, spade-shaped leaves appeared to be strong enough to support Blaine's weight.

"How do you...?" Blaine whispered as he watched it.

"We all have our special gifts that we can only use every so often," Brittany explained, "Like Quinn can transpormigate-"

"Transport," Quinn corrected.

"Right. And Tana can create forcefields. This is mine."

A horrible thought struck Blaine.

"Um...what's Sebastian's?"

"I don't know-" she caught the look on his face, "-I mean, he transportimigated once so maybe that's it. Same as Quinn."

"I doubt it," Quinn put-in.

It wasn't exactly a comforting thought to imagine that Sebastian had some kind of hidden power that he hadn't unleashed yet. He was already a formidable enough foe as it was. Eventually the vine stopped just below the window ledge. Blaine could see why they could only use these powers every so often; it was no different to a person carrying out an impressive feat of strength - the exertion took its toll on them. Like Santana earlier, Brittany's face had drained of color and it appeared to be a struggle for her to stay on her feet.

"Are you ok?" he asked.

"Don't worry about me," she smiled, "Go get your true love."

"Come with me. You two can fly up."

Quinn shook her head.

"No," Brittany said, "It should be a special moment for just the two of you."

"But we'll be waiting down here, so get a move on!" Quinn gave him a friendly shove in the direction of the tower.

Blaine approached the vine. He put down his shield and gave the plant a hearty tug. He was pleased to find it was every part as strong as it looked. He glanced back and Brittany gave him an encouraging smile.

"Here I go," he said. He grabbed a hold of the vine and placed a foot on one of the leaves. He looked up. Leafy ladder or not, it was a long way to go but the thought of Kurt waiting for him was all the inspiration he needed.

None of them noticed the tendril wrap around Brittany's ankle until it was too late. She let out a piercing scream as it yanked her back and caused her to fall. Blaine looked back and was horrified to see her being dragged towards the thorns. Her wings were pounding furiously as she tried to free herself. Quinn blasted the tendril away but another had grabbed Brittany before she had the chance to pull her out of range. More flew out and wrapped around her arms and neck. Blaine made to climb back down.

"Go!" Brittany yelled before the thorns could block her windpipe, "Save Kurt!"

Blaine hesitated. He couldn't leave them like this.

"SHE SAID GO!" Quinn shouted, "AND DON'T LOOK BACK!"

He bit his lip and blinked back the tears threatening to fall. Even as he climbed he could hear the horrible noises of Brittany being dragged and Quinn's even more desperate attempts to free her. It pained him to do so - worse so than all he had endured. He silently prayed that Quinn could save her. She _must_. She had been the one who had given him the sword.

The climb was exhausting. By the time he reached the top his muscles were screaming. He grabbed hold of the ledge. For a terrifying moment his legs hung suspended in mid-air and he wasn't entirely convinced that he would have the strength to pull himself over. It was the memory of Brittany's pleading words "save Kurt" that gave him the last spurt of adrenaline he needed to finally climb in through the window of the tower.

He found himself in the chamber he had been shown in Sebastian's vision. Everything was as he had seen and the only sound was that of Kurt's even breathing. He walked slowly towards the raised platform, in awe at the sight of the sleeping prince. Blaine fell to his knees next to the bed and let the sword fall to the floor. He took Kurt's hand. Kurt's head had fallen to the side as he slept and Blaine gently placed his hand on his cheek to move his head round. The corner of his mouth was turned upwards. Despite the fact he was asleep, his lips were tantalizingly plump and pink.

"I hope this works," Blaine said. He leaned down and pressed his lips against Kurt's. He lifted his face, watching for any signs of life. A number of seconds passed and soon the color flooded into Kurt's cheeks, staining them pink. His eyes flickered open and a warm smile crossed his face. Blaine's heart leapt into his throat. True love's kiss really was the most powerful magic of all.

"Hi," he said quietly. Blaine almost laughed. He beamed,

"Hi."

Kurt wrapped his arms around Blaine's neck and pulled him down for another, deeper kiss.

"Disgusting."

They jumped apart. Sebastian had appeared in the room. His sceptre was gone and his face bore the marks of his duel with Santana but these injuries made him seem more imposing, more dangerous. He looked like the embodiment of pure evil.

"If you hurt him," he growled.

"What are you going to do to me?" Sebastian returned icily. He had finished playing games, "Me, the most powerful being on Earth. Me, who single-handedly destroyed those three little pains who were so determined to stop me!"

"NO!" Kurt yelled. He leapt off the bed but Blaine stopped him from flying at the other man. Sebastian's eyes flashed.

"Yes. And it was almost too easy. What power do you two have? Oh wait, don't tell me," he sneered, "True love. HA! Let's see how true love fares against the most powerful being on earth!"

He cried out, a cry that distorted and deepened into an animalistic growl as his eyes narrowed to yellow slits. This time there was no-one to stop his spell. His limbs stretched and twisted out of any natural shape and he started to grow to an impossible height. The ceiling of the tower caved in as his elongating head hit the roof. His nose turned into a snout and his skin peeled off in strips to reveal lizard-like black scales with a green and purple sheen. Bronze spikes grew from his arched back, all the way down to a tail that had extended from the bottom of his spine. He was turning into a dragon right before their very eyes.

Blaine and Kurt held each other tight in terror at the events unfolding before them. The roof gave way as the creature burst out, stretching out into the night sky. Huge bat-like wings unfurled from where Sebastian's shoulder blades had been previously.

"Oh my god..." Kurt exhaled.

"Oh..." Blaine mumbled, "_That's _what his special power is."

It was whole lot worse than he could have possibly imagined.

The transformation was not yet complete - they had to get out of their while Sebastian was distracted. Blaine's eyes searched desperately. There! Just to Sebastian's side, he could see the window he had entered through. No, it wasn't so much a window now as a huge hole in the side of the tower but peeking over the side he could see the top of Brittany's vine. They didn't have much time.

"The vine!" he said to Kurt. He made to run forward but hung back when he saw the uneasy look on Kurt's face, "What are you doing?"

"I don't like heights..." Kurt said. If the situation wasn't life or death Blaine might have laughed at the ridiculousness of it; that Kurt would rather face a dragon than a great height. The monster opened its great mouth and belched a mushroom-shaped cloud of smoke into the night.

"Look, we have to. I'll go first to show you it's safe."

"Okay…"

Blaine jumped over the swinging tail and dived over the ledge, managing to grab onto the vine as he plunged. His hand burned as he slid down but it would be nothing compared to what would happen if he stayed there. He placed his foot on the side of the tower to slow himself down. He noticed that Brittany and Quinn weren't down there. He hoped this wasn't a confirmation of what Sebastian had said, "Come on, Kurt!" he shouted.

They were too late. The transformation was complete. Sebastian growled and shot a bright purple flame out of one nostril, surrounding Kurt in flames almost as tall as he was. It burned brightly despite the room being made of stone. Kurt staggered back and almost tripped up over the platform. Smoke clouded his vision. Sebastian beat his wings and lowered himself off the tower. He landed with a heavy thud. Blaine's eyes widened and he let himself slide down the rest of the way. He made a grab for his sword but the sheath on his belt was empty. He had left his sword in the tower.

"Well damn..." he said. His eyes fell to his shield; he had put it down before he had started climbing. It was better than nothing. Sebastian's stretched his great jaw and breathed a shower of flames. Blaine had to jump behind the tower to avoid it. Fire shot past at either side of the stone, encasing him in heat. There was no where he could run to - he was still trapped within the enclosed space of the thorns. Perhaps if he could avoid Sebastian's fire breath long enough the dark fae would eventually tire out like the others did.

Even in his head it sounded like a long shot.

The creature swooped down and its head appeared at Blaine's side. Blaine wheeled around and struck it with his shield. Sebastian howled. Blaine rolled to the side just to be caught on the side by the monster's talon. He landed a mere foot away from the thorns and had to use the sharp edge of his shield to cut one of the coils that had made a grab for his leg.

The momentary distraction was enough. He didn't notice Sebastian's tail behind him until it knocked the shield out of his hand, tearing the skin of his wrist. The shield was snatched greedily by the thorn bush. In an instant the dragon had him pinned to the ground under his talon. It opened its mouth,

"You shouldn't have rejected my hospitality," it said in a coarse growl that was almost like Sebastian's. Its forked tongue flickered. Blaine was completely trapped, "And once you're dead I'm going to kill your precious little love slowly and painfully."

Sebastian's voice carried to the tower and the threat of Blaine's death was enough to rouse Kurt from his terror. His throat felt like it was lined with sandpaper and the heat was growing unbearable. Through the smoke, he could see Sebastian's jaw's come apart as the dragon took in a great breath. He couldn't just stand there while Sebastian killed Blaine. He _wouldn't_. The sword...Blaine's sword! The discarded object was lying on the floor where Sebastian had knocked it out of Blaine's hand. Kurt grabbed it. He had to distract Sebastian. However, Sebastian was out there and he was in here, and there was no time to waste. There was nothing else for it.

"I'm going to regret this," he said and then did something that was both very brave and very stupid. He took a running jump over the fire and leapt from the tower. He landed at the top of Sebastian's back, missing one of the spikes by inches. The creature reared its head back and let out an almighty roar and Kurt had to cling on for dear life. He managed to get a good grip by straddling the dragon's neck with both legs and tried not to think about high up he was.

"This is for Brittany, Quinn and Santana!" he hollered. He raised the sword high above his head, then drove it straight through the back of the creature's neck. Sebastian bellowed in pain and thick black blood poured from the wound. Blaine scrambled back as Sebastian lifted his talon, now too preoccupied with trying to throw Kurt off, who pulled the sword out and nearly overbalanced in the process.

"CATCH!" he shouted and threw the sword at Blaine. Sebastian turned his head towards Blaine and advanced on him. He managed to dodge a swipe of Sebastian's claw. To distract him, Kurt - suppressing deep disgust - dug his fist into the wound he had made. Sebastian released a pained shriek and once more, his attention was on Kurt. He raised himself up so that his underside was visible. Blaine aimed his sword for where he figured Sebastian's heart would be.

Three tiny specks appeared at Blaine's side, unseen by the creature. The sight of it filled Blaine with courage.

"Aim true," the blue speck said and suddenly the blade shone with blue light, "Now throw it."

Blaine adhered to this command and threw the sword with all his might. The sword shot like a missile and buried itself in Sebastian's chest. This time it was more than blood that gushed from where the sword had met its mark; smoke and shadowed shapes escaped into the night. Sebastian's body was overcome in green flames.

"KURT!" Blaine screamed. When the flames died all that was left was a dark scorch on the ground with Blaine's sword buried in the dirt. The thorn bush withered and died.

The three women returned to full height. Santana was wounded and shaken from her fight with Sebastian yet, by some miracle, she had survived. She had managed to perform wandless magic to blast away the rocks that had buried her. Brittany and Quinn had flown to find her as soon as Quinn had managed to free Brittany from the thorns. They had met halfway and realized too late that leaving Kurt and Blaine alone while Sebastian was still out there was a very bad idea.

"You're all ok," Blaine gasped.

"Can't get rid of us that easy," Santana said through gritted teeth. She was in pain but was determined not to show it.

Brittany looked around, "Where's Kurt?"

"I-I..." his words died. Brittany's eyes widened.

"Over there!" Quinn yelled. Kurt was lying a short distance away. Blaine ran over and knelt beside him. He gently shook his shoulder,

"Kurt...you can wake up. Sebastian's dead," Blaine said. There was no response, "You hear that? We won."

Below a layer of dirt and ash the prince's skin was a gaunt, pale grey color and he wasn't breathing. He was lying still as the grave. Blaine placed his ear on Kurt's chest but couldn't hear or feel a heartbeat. Not one sign of life. No...Blaine wouldn't allow himself to believe that Kurt was...not now.

"You can't die on me now," he said, "Not after everything we've been through."

There was still no reaction. Blaine lifted Kurt up by the shoulders and held him against his chest. It was a dead weight - Kurt felt limp and lifeless in his arms. Tears rolled down Blaine's cheeks and he didn't bother to wipe them away,

"Please..." his words stuck in his throat, "I can't lose you."

He kissed him desperately - his mouth, his cheek, his head - but deep down he knew it would be no good; this wasn't the effects of a curse and true love's kiss wouldn't work this time. Hopelessness set in like a lead weight in his chest. He held him close, sobbing into his shoulder,

"No, you can't be dead," he pleaded, "You just can't be."

Brittany turned away and buried her head in Santana's neck, who hid her own face in Brittany's hair. Quinn's eyes were glistening. It had been for nothing. All of it had been for nothing. What were they going to tell the kingdom?

Then Blaine heard a weak moan in his ear.

"Kurt?" he said, hardly daring to believe it. He raised his head and sure enough, Kurt was stirring in his arms. He almost started crying again - this time from joy. Kurt coughed throatily and his eyes half-opened. He was tired and weak but he was alive. That was all that mattered.

"Did we win?" he mumbled.

"Yes, we won," Blaine words caught in his throat, "We beat him."

Kurt smiled tiredly, "Good."

Quinn's face split into a disbelieving grin, "He's alive!" she declared, tugging on Santana's arm to get her to look, "Kurt's alive!"

Blaine stood up and helped Kurt to his feet. Kurt hugged Brittany and then Quinn. Santana hung back, scowling.

"And so are you three," he said as they let him go, "I thought...Sebastian said..."

"You really think a scumbag like Sebastian would get the better of us?" Santana said.

"I'm so sorry about all the trouble I've caused," he replied. He looked on the verge of tears. He gazed at his three guardians - no, his three _friends_. He would never take them for granted again.

"So you should be," Santana snapped aggressively in reply. Her mouth quirked upwards and she held out her arms, "Well, are you going to hug me or not, Princess?"

Kurt laughed and embraced the woman. Santana's voice was thick as she said,

"Don't you _dare _scare me like that again."

When they broke apart, Kurt's gaze fell to Blaine. The three women exchanged meaningful looks, knowing they required a private moment.

"Well, we're going over there-" Quinn pointed behind her in a random direction. They left Kurt and Blaine alone. Despite everything that they had been through together, suddenly it was like they were back in the village when they had just met with the exception of all the dirt and gore. Blaine even scratched the back of his neck as he had done earlier that day,

"You know, I don't think I properly introduced himself," he said and held out his hand, "My name's Blaine."

Kurt giggled. He held out his own hand but it was covered in Sebastian's blood. He wrinkled his nose and quickly wiped it on the only clean part of his outfit he could find before shaking Blaine's hand,"...Kurt."

"So...you're a prince, then?"

"Yeah...I guess I am," he shifted his weight to one side, "I could ask you the same question."

"I guess I am too."

For a moment they stood there awkwardly and the next both had thrown themselves forward, wrapped around each other in a loving kiss. When their lips parted, they stayed attached. Their foreheads rested together.

"Would it be too soon to say "I love you"?" Blaine said.

"I think after everything we've been through, it would be acceptable."

Blaine's expression turned serious, "You know this means you won't be able to take the throne."

The laws of the land dictated that a prince marry a woman of noble-blood otherwise they forfeit the crown. It was an old-fashioned law. Luckily, Kurt had no ambitions to be king. He had been almost completely isolated for his whole life - he didn't want to spend all his life cooped up in a palace.

"I honestly couldn't care less. I would happily give up every luxury. Well..." he wrinkled his nose, "Maybe not _every _luxury. I wouldn't cope without at least one pair of suede boots."

Blaine chortled, "Of course."

"_Hem-hem_ we're on a schedule," Santana interrupted.

"Okay, okay. We'll be right there," Kurt called back. He sighed, "We better go."

"But first..." Blaine looked into Kurt's eyes and said the words he had never been surer of in his twenty years of life, "I love you."

Kurt blushed, "I love you too."

* * *

Burt Hummel had had enough of pacing. He had been waiting to see his son for eighteen years. The civilians had started to rouse as soon as the spell had been broken and he had been the first to wake up. He had known right away that it had been the work of magic but the question was...whose? Where was Kurt? More terrifyingly...had the curse been fulfilled?

The chamber door opened a crack and there was a collective intake of breath but, to everyone's great disappointment, it was the servant he had sent to summon his son. The servant was hassled looking and disheveled.

"Well?" Burt said impatiently. The servant wrung his hands,

"I...well...I went up there and knocked the door and one of them said he was in the restroom but...well-" he gestured wildly, "...then they opened the door and then I fell asleep and when I woke up they were...they were..."

He was saved having to admit they had been gone when the doors opened once more.

"Sorry we're late," Quinn said, "You wouldn't believe the day we had."

Shocked gasps run through the room. The fae were leading, Quinn holding in her hand the remains of Sebastian's sceptre. They all looked like they had been fighting in a war; they were cut, bruised and covered in blood. However, they were smiling from ear to ear. Behind them, hands interlocked walked Prince Blaine of Dalton and a handsome young man who was undeniably Prince Kurt. Burt ran forward.

"What the...? What happened? Did the curse...?"

"Yes," Quinn said, bowing her head "But thankfully, it was broken. Sebastian Smythe is dead," she handed him the sceptre; "This is all that remains of him."

There was an outburst of shocked conversation at this pronouncement which Burt silenced instantly with a wave of his hand.

"How?" he whispered.

"You have Kurt and Blaine to thank for that," Brittany said. On these words, Burt seemed to remember the reason he had been waiting for so long. He wordlessly handed Quinn back the sceptre. The fae stood aside. Kurt untangled his hand from Blaine's and stepped forward. He bowed,

"My king," he said. Burt took in every aspect of the boy's features disbelievingly. There was no trick. He was finally here.

"You should never bow to me," he replied, voice thick. Kurt glanced up.

Burt smiled, "You look just like your mother."

"Thank you."

Burt then turned his attention to Blaine.

"So you were the one that broke the curse?" he said, eyebrows rising in surprise.

"Yes," Blaine jerked his head. To his surprise, Burt hugged him tightly,

"Then I owe you my thanks."

Blaine shook his head, "I appreciate your thanks but I did nothing. If it wasn't for Brittany, Quinn and Santana I would still be a prisoner in Sebastian's castle. If anyone deserves your thanks, it's them."

Burt approached the three women.

"You've protected him for eighteen years. If it wasn't for you my son would be dead and Sebastian would have overthrown the kingdom for sure," he said, "I am eternally in your debt."

He sank down in a deep, gracious bow. Quinn took a sharp intake of breath and Brittany squeaked in surprise. Kurt beamed at them then he and Blaine bowed as well. Before long everyone in the hall were bowing. Santana sniffed in a way that might have been trying to disguise a sudden desire to cry. Quinn glanced sideways at her,

"Are you alright?"

She fanned her hands in front of her face, "I'm okay, I'm okay..."

Burt's gaze was back on Kurt, "You understand what this means for you?" he said. Kurt nodded,

"I know I can't be king. With all due respect, I don't want to be. I would rather live my life with Blaine that rule a kingdom without him."

Burt smiled and nodded, "You'll always be my son no matter what you choose. I'm so proud of you. Welcome home"

He stepped forward and embraced his son. Both were misty eyed when they broke apart. Burt turned to the waiting nobles.

"I want a great feast prepared!" he proclaimed, "It is a great day for all the kingdoms in the realm, not just our own. This will be a celebration of these heroes that stand before me and most importantly, a celebration of love!"

King William of Dalton sidled up to Burt's side.

"But Burt," he hissed, not quietly enough not to go overheard, "What about our treaty? The law..."

Kurt and Blaine exchanged worried looks. Burt was still king and if he said so, he could make it that they would never see each other again. However, he was not a cruel man. Burt Hummel hadn't anticipated that his son would be gay but he had to admit that Kurt and the prince of Dalton made a fine couple. The way they looked at each other was the way that Burt and his first wife would look at each other and it didn't take a genius to know what true love looked like. He didn't need Kurt to be on the throne to be proud of his son. All he wanted was his happiness and forcing him into marriage wasn't the way.

"It's true love," he said fondly. He raised his hands against William's stuttering protests, "And who are we to stand in the way of that?"

Kurt's eyes scanned over the crowd until he made eye-contact with Finn – not that it was hard to miss him, being the tallest present. He sent him a meaningful look. Finn stared blankly back. Kurt tilted his head towards Rachel then to Burt. Finn blinked slowly. Kurt rolled his eyes. This was going to be harder than he thought. He cleared his throat,

"If there's anyone who wants to _say _anything about a certain someone, now would be a good time."

The cryptic response was met by a number of confused looks. His step-brother wasn't getting it - Quinn wasn't lying about him being dimwitted. Kurt gestured in Rachel's general direction,

"You know..." he said, "While we're on the subject of true love."

"Oh!" Finn started, "Yeah!"

He stepped forward, "Um...Bur-I mean, your majesty?" he said, "I've got something to say."

Kurt sighed in relief. He was glad Finn finally got it.

"We're all ears," Burt said. Finn walked across the room and took Rachel's hand.

"What are you doing?" she whispered as he tugged her towards Burt and William.

"I'm in love with Rachel," Finn rushed out, "Have been for years. I didn't want her to marry Kurt and that's why I've been in such a pissy-" Burt's eyes narrowed at the profanity, "-I mean, bad mood lately. And I think...I hope she loves me too," he looked at Rachel who smiled back. She took his hand, eyes bright,

"I do," she said.

"Rachel," King William said sternly, "Is this true?"

"Yes..." Rachel said. She bowed her head respectfully.

"So you're in love with this lovely young lady?" Burt said, scowling at Finn. Despite the height difference Finn suddenly seemed so much younger as he faltered under Burt's intense gaze. He nodded,

"Yeah, I am. With all my heart," he replied. Burt looked at King William, who gave a curt nod. Burt's face relaxed and he grinned,

"Well we might still have a wedding after all," Burt said. Rachel gasped and Finn's jaw dropped,

"What, really?!" he said.

"If you think you're up to responsibility of ruling the kingdom."

"Oh...I am. I really am. You can count on me.." Finn babbled excitedly. Rachel turned to her father,

"Really, daddy?" she whispered. William nodded,

"Burt said it himself, who are we to stand in the way of true love? If this is what you want then you have my blessing."

Rachel squealed with joy and leapt into Finn's arms. Finn caught Kurt's eye over Rachel's shoulder and mouthed "Thank you, man!" at him. It was a huge difference to the hostility of their first meeting.

Burt turned to the waiting crowd,

"Well, what are we all just standing here for? We're supposed to be celebrating!"

Within the next half hour the floor had been cleared and the court musicians were playing a joyful tune. The sceptre had been discarded to be forgotten about - nobody needed reminded of who and what Sebastian was.

Kurt's clothes had got a much-needed repair and he was now dancing with his three guardians who had since received high royal honors; they were now Lady Santana, Lady Brittany, and Lady Quinn. He couldn't think of anyone who deserved it more. Santana had commented it was about time they got recognition. Blaine had disappeared about half an hour earlier to clean up. Finn approached them,

"Hey man, can I have a private word?" he said. He looked nervous.

"Um...sure," Kurt followed the taller man to the side of the room, wondering what this could be about. Finn turned to look at him,

"I guess I owe you an apology for being an ass when we first met."

"Oh..." he replied, a little surprised. He opened his mouth to say he accepted the apology but Finn babbled over him,

"Because, I mean I was a real prick even though you were being nice but I thought you were going to marry Rachel and be king and I was like who is this fa-"

Kurt held up his hand to silence him before Finn stuck his foot in it, "Don't worry about it. I understand why you were upset. Apology accepted."

He went to shake Finn's hand but Finn shook his head, "Gimme a hug, brother."

Kurt beamed and hugged the other man. He only came up to his chest which wasn't the most comfortable place to be squashed against but he appreciated the gesture nonetheless. Finn left to find Rachel, leaving Kurt alone.

The band struck up a new song. This one was slower and more romantic. It was the song that Kurt and Blaine had sung together when they had first met.

Kurt felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around and Blaine was standing there. He had cleaned up and looked so handsome it took Kurt's breath away. He held out his hand,

"May I have this dance?" he said. Kurt's heart leapt into his throat. Would Blaine always have this effect on him? He nodded,

"Yes. You may."

The crowd parted as they took centre floor. As they danced the world around them seemed to fade into the distance. All that mattered was that they were there together. They had done it. They had beaten Sebastian and showed that true love indeed conquered all. And they were ready for their happily ever after.

**The End**


End file.
